The Burning Knot
by MimiLuvs16
Summary: A continuation with a mere peek into the lives of Nasira Grant and Eric Coulter. In this short tale, Eric and Nasira are engaged in a 'friends with benefits' relationship. She believes that she is capable of handling this kind of relationship with her son's father. So, what is going to happen to them, when she realizes that she cannot?
1. Chapter 1

***Enthusiastically waves like a dweeb***

 **Hello, again!**

 **I am back with another one. This time, the short story will be placed all in one chapter (Update: There are two chapters). It'll appear as if it is a long-long-long chapter, when really it is the entire story.**

 **In this short, like with "The Meek Shall Inherit", a lot of O/Cs will be involved and the "Eric" character will be non-canon and completely OOC. Any of the material from The Divergent Series will not make an appearance in this story. No Abnegation massacre. No War. No Divergent hunts. There is a few mentions of divergents in this one, as well.**

 **WARNING:** **Due to adult language, adult content and multiple smut-tastic LEMONS in this story, it is not suitable for readers under the age of sixteen. Once again, I am being generous with the age restriction. I was sixteen once.**

 **Disclaimer:** **Characters and plot lines that can be found in the Divergent Series does not belong to me. All of this literary goodness belongs to Veronica Roth.**

 ***~oMLo~***

'You knew…' her conscience sighed. Her conscience decided to make herself known at the most inconvenient time.

"Aaaaaaaaa-ugh!" she moaned boisterously after Eric's member made one meticulous stroke at her walls. Her fingernails dug into the sweat-slicked skin that covered his lower back. She brought her knees closer to his arms' elbows. His stroking cock seemed to sink deeper into her wet sheath. Ripples of pleasure tore through her body and it left her with a chattering jaw and fresh hot tears leaving her eyelids. "Aaaaaa-Ohhhhh-ah-ah…" she continued to wail into the air.

Seconds later, her cheeks were cleaned by his thick hot tongue. Her flesh was subjected to licks that were seductive. A saliva-infused trail was expressed from her right cheek down to her right shoulder. His tongue drew circles and swirls on her flesh before retreating back to its lair. His teeth clamped down on her shoulder with a gentle hold. As he bit into her shoulder, her ears picked up the sounds of his hands moving along the sheet's surface. She opened her eyes just in time to witness his right hand latch onto the edge of her bed's headboard. Anticipation began to bubble up in the pit of her stomach. She began to feel giddy.

"Y-Yeahhhhhhhh-sssssss," her lips hissed.

Just as she expected from her late-night lover, his hips made a hard and sharp thrust, making his prick nestle deeply into her. His member once again stretched her walls and tantalized her nerve-endings. Her cunt squeezed onto his member with contentment and gratitude for his action. She picked up his moan. Then his hips and cock proceeded to incite the fire that was her arousal. There were strokes that were rough yet deep. His actions orchestrated a melody of blissful sounds, from her shuddering breaths to the sounds of her bed's wooden frame trembling.

"…aaaaaaaaaaaAAAAHHHHH—Mmmpphh!" Before her cry could escalate even further, Eric's mouth latched onto her lips. His thick tongue plunged into her mouth and sought domination over hers. She moaned into his mouth as her hands clutched his bearded face.

As soon as his lips parted from her own, he haggardly whispered, "Keep quiet. You'll wake The Kid".

A low moan escaped from her mouth. "But you feel so—Ah!" Her own climax cut her statement off. It snuck up on her like it was a snake in the grass. Her fingers clutched onto his bulky body as she quivered in between him and the bed. The muscles in her legs tightened and spasm as they were wrapped around his hips. Her cunt wept even more as she kept his pounding cock in a stranglehold.

Just as she was slinking down from her coital euphoric high, Eric managed to rise to his own. The teeth that she once felt on her right shoulder returned. His left hand latched on her right tit and squeezed as hard as he could. A series of uncoordinated moans and grunts fell from his trembling body. His hips pressed themselves against her spent and pliable body. Her limbs clutched onto him tighter and she continued to hold onto him as she felt his seed warm her thighs and sex.

"Nasira," he softly moaned into her neck and right shoulder, once he calmed down. He sounded vulnerable and full of emotion, to her. It caused a small walnut-sized amount of pressure to form in the pit of her belly and her chest to emit a dull ache.

'Stop that,' her conscience interjected.

Like always after a rut, she felt his larger body mold itself onto her smaller one. His head found comfort in her bountiful breasts and used them as a pillow. The thick and muscled bands of strength that he called his arms curled closely to her planks while his hands gently held her ribs. Her own body fell into a routine. Her arms loosened their tight hold on him and became relaxed against his broad shoulders. Her hands and fingers found senses of contentment by playing with his curly hair. Her legs were casually wrapped around his hips, butt and upper portions of his thighs. The back of her head rested against a pillow at an angle, so she would be able to stare at him as he drifted off to sleep. A purr of happiness escaped from her chest and throat as she lain there.

'Stop _this_ ,' her conscience requested. The level of contentment was now blown to smithereens. A deep frown was written on her face. Her head straightened itself out and she stared at her ceiling. 'You knew what you were doing, when you and him decided to do this,' her moral side pointed out. 'He has a girlfriend already! He—

'But he's here…with me, though.' She knew that this was her uninhibited side speaking. The same nameless, shapeless and invisible entity that told her to have sex with Eric, a few weeks ago. 'He's holding me and cuddling with me… and is about to get another chubby for—

Her inner, intrapersonal conversation was disrupted by the onslaught of cries that permeated the atmosphere. Her ears picked up the noises coming from two places: the hallway outside of her bedroom and from the baby monitor that was on her nightstand. She also picked up the low and subtle sounds of movement from her bed. 'Luke's awake.'

"The Kid is awake," grumbled Eric, into her breast.

Nasira sighed. "Well, lemme go see what's wrong," she reported.

With a groan of disappointment due the act of moving, escaping from his mouth, Eric lifted his upper body off of her. Even in the current state of being semi-aroused, his dick left a lasting impression as he exited out of her warmth. She felt a sense of emptiness fill her. Her eyes took in his nude body as he sought after the unused portion of her king-sized mattress. Then she slipped out of her warm bed. Her legs trembled as she stood up, a common effect from being with Eric. She sought after her discarded nightgown, which was on the floor and she slipped it on. Then she exited the bedroom and gone to Lucien's nursery.

Even with the nightlight's dim and colorful lighting, she was able to see Lucien as she entered his bedroom. His tiny shape was standing in his crib, by the railing. One of his arms were reaching out for her while he kept the other arm close to his body. His cries were bouncing off of the walls and were filling her spirit up with concern.

She strolled over to his crib. "It's alright, big boy, Mama is here now," she said sweetly into his hair. She plucked him from out of his crib and she held his small body close to hers. He continued to cry. "Sssh-sssh-sssh, alright Luke, what's wrong, baby?" She peered down at his face. She noticed that his right hand was practically inside of his mouth. She reached a conclusion immediately. 'He's teething.' She reached down and gave him a kiss on his forehead. She caught the sense of a slight fever from him. 'He's needs some ibuprofen.' She kissed him again as she walked across the nursery, to the exit. "My big boy is getting his new teeth in," she announced in a gentle version of baby talk.

She carried Lucien to the bathroom, where she would fetch a bottle of his medicine. Once fetching the bottle of liquefied ibuprofen, she held the toddler up to the light, so she could see into his mouth. She eventually learned that Lucien was going to be a recipient of two pairs of 'canine' teeth. She felt proud of her son, for a strange reason.

"Soon, you'll have all of your teeth," she announced into his curly hair while strolling into the hallway.

Nasira and Lucien made it into the dimly-lit, living room. The boy's cries were still decorating the walls and the furniture. She walked into the kitchen area and over to the sink, where the silverware drawer was located. She searched the drawer for a utensil that was small enough for the boy's mouth.

Lucien let out a whimper in between his cries and then a "Dada". The mother looked away from the drawer and stared at her son. He was looking towards the hallway with his left index finger pointing in the same direction. "Dada!" the toddler repeated with a soft whimper tattooed to it. She stared in the same direction. A millisecond later, Eric emerged from the thinned veil of darkness that was covering the other side of the living room. She immediately noticed that he was still bare-chested, but was sporting a pair of sweatpants.

"Hey, what's wrong with him?" he inquired as he approached the mother and son. He was rubbing at his left eyelid as he walked.

"He's teething…" she explained before peering into the silverware drawer again. Her fingers pushed several utensils out of the way. 'Okay damnit, I need a spoon. Where's one when I actually need it,' her brain lashed out. "…He managed to grow four more. I'm looking for a spoon, so I can feed him some baby-aspirin. It'll make the pain go away… At least for a little while."

"Oh… Cool," declared Eric. His statement made her stop with her search. Actually, it was his tone of voice that captured her attention. It was filled with lightness. He sounded…genuinely happy.

Her face frowned up. ' _Oh…Cool…_ Why does he sound…normal?!'

Lucien writhed in her arms. He swayed his body into his father's direction. His arms reached out for Eric. The young father grabbed him and gently pulled the boy out of his mother's grasp. Once he held a secured hold on their son, the boy planted the side of his face on his chest. The baby received a kiss on his forehead for his effort.

Nasira watched the scene with interest. She felt a strong sense of gravity pull at her stomach, just as her heart began to pound against her chest. 'Stop that,' her conscience warned. She rolled her eyes and gone back to searching for a spoon. As she perused the drawer, she kept intermittently observing both father and son. Eric was murmuring words of consolation and about 'being a big boy' as he rocked the baby in his massive arms. Lucien continued to lay his head and was now mewling about his pain while his fingers pressed at his gums.

'Stop that.'

When her fingers came across a plastic medicine dropper, she murmured a 'Finally' under her breath. She rinsed the utensil off with cold, sink water and ingested the burgundy-colored syrup into the dropper. She brought the dropper's tip close to the baby's mouth, in hope of administering the medicine. Lucien didn't want to take it. His left hand pushed at her wrist. "Lukie, come on, baby" she softly cooed. She watched her son's face grimace and heard him grunt with distaste. She offered the medicine again and she received the same reaction from him. "Luke, come on. Do you want to feel better? You don't wanna hurt-hurt anymore?" she asked him. She watched his face frown up. She tried again. She pressed the tip of the dropper to his pouty lips. He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, in defiance. A second later, she glanced at Eric with narrowed eyes. "He gets this from you, you know," she accused him with feign distaste.

Then, Eric proceeded to shock-the-hell out of her.

His soft and warm lips stretched out and formed a smile. It was a genuine smile that reached up to his eyes. His azure-hued eyes dazzled while her own eyes widened along with the sense of shock that ran through her soul.

He didn't notice her look of surprise. Instead, he peered down at their progeny. "Okay Luke, Mommy is going to give you something to make you feel better. Okay? So, just open your mouth for Mommy, okay? Come on and say 'Aaah'…" Both parents heard the baby whimper. "Come on, Luke. Just try for me, okay. Just try for daddy…"

'Daddy?!' her brain shrieked with shock.

"…Please, Luke. Pretty please? Come on, I'll do it with you. Say…" He opened his mouth and a second later, there was a sound coming from his mouth. "Aaaaaaahhhhh…"

Nasira decided to go along with Eric and opened her mouth to mimic him. She watched their son eye the both of them. He looked as if he was weighing his options. Seconds later, the toddler opened his mouth and his own 'Aaaaaahhhh' fell from his mouth. She took the opportunity and placed the dropper's tip into his mouth. Lucien's lips closed around the tip and the medicine was injected into his mouth. She saw the grimace return to his face. She pulled the dropper from out of his mouth. She made sure that he swallowed the syrup. She could tell that he hated the taste.

To make him feel better, she clapped her hands. "Yayyyyyyyy, Lukie! You did it!" she cheered. A weak smile grew on their son's face and his hands clapped.

"Yay, that's a good boy!" praised Eric. He gave the boy another kiss on the forehead.

Once again, her face frowned up, in sheer bewilderment. 'What's going on with him?!' she pondered silently. Eric wasn't behaving in his typical and normal behavior. The 'typical Eric' was like a slab of cement: sturdy, stoic and it took a lot of force to crack him up. As of this moment, he was warmer and open. As she cleaned up, she slyly observed the father and son. They remained holding onto each other. '…Maybe he is doing what he sees me doing, whenever I am with Luke,' she reasoned. 'Yeah, this could be it. He's been showing more affection towards Luke, as of lately.'

After placing the dropper into the drawer, she leaned against the counter and stared at the two of them. She noticed that Lucien was not crying anymore, but he did released a whimper or two.

"Let me put him back to bed," she told him. Nasira reached for the child, who spurned her advances by pushing her hands away. She put a grimace on her face and then feigned offense. "You don't want to come to Mommy?" The baby turned his head away and presented her with the back of his head. She made a squeak. Then she was presented with a family of juvenile giggles. "Well…" she scoffed. "Be that way then! I'm going to take a shower," she announced. She left the living room to the soundtrack of melodic, baby's laughter.

After fetching her bathrobe and a few toiletries from her bedroom, she locked herself in her bathroom to take a shower. Once she was alone, her conscience confronted her. She began to dissect the moments that led up to this latest hook-up. For Nasira, she knew that she was going to ask Eric for sex tonight. A full week had gone by without a chance of re-connecting, thanks to his leadership role and the preparations for the upcoming initiation trials. Of course when it came to asking for the sex, she had to ask for it in her own way, which was the act of promptly changing into a pair of skin-tight shorts and a figure-flattering tank top. Of course Eric being 'Eric', easily picked up on her cues and then proceeded to play mind games with her. He ignored her. He played with and took care of their son for the majority of his visit. By the time he stopped messing around with her and took her to her bedroom, she was almost weeping for joy…From her eyes.

'I don't know why I am such a scaredy-cat when it comes to asking him for sex. Shit… In Amity, the women were very open about getting what they wanted. And this was Amity, _for flipping's sake_!' Nasira grabbed the towel from the rack that was on the door. She proceeded to dry her legs. 'You know why you're afraid,' her conscience reminded. 'The dreaded oxytocin…' She sighed. 'Plus, the way he acts when he's around Lucien, is not helping you with this _crush_ thing. That boy adores and loves his daddy.'

It was true. Since the night of their first introduction, Eric made sure that he was a constant presence for Lucien. For the past few weeks, the Dauntless leader would make a visit to Nasira's apartment, in the evenings. The visits' duration would range from an hour to a few hours. On some nights, the trio would have dinner together. Or, they would watch films from Nasira's video-converter. But he made sure that he was always there for the baby's bedtime rituals. It was during these particular moments, when she learned that Eric still possessed a little bit of Erudite in him. On one night, she randomly discovered the father reading excerpts from a hand-sized, paperback novel. He would sit in the rocking chair that was a few feet across from the crib and he would read as Lucien rested in his crib. On some of those nights, for a few minutes, she would stand on the other side of the wall and just listen to his voice. It wasn't until his eighth night of being a parent that she learned that he was reading from Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations".

This was also the same night that Nasira reintroduced Eric to her bedroom and to her body again. Before he had the opportunity to plunge his member into her warmth, she was aware that she wasn't fit to be anything other than the mother to Eric's firstborn. She well-aware of the fact that Eric already had his 'dream woman', his soul mate. This night's union only meant as a means to an end; a way to seek sexual gratification.

'BINGO!' She stood upright. 'It has nothing to do with _him_! You have a crush on him because he is taking care of Luke!' She nodded her head. 'Yup, this is it. This makes sense.'

After finishing with her maintenance in the bathroom, she returned to the living room. She expected to see Eric and Lucien sitting on her couch, watching a program from the vid-con. She was greeted with an empty, dimly-lit room. She assumed that they were in her bedroom, so she traveled back to her personal dwelling. As she stepped into the threshold, she was greeted by a splendid sight. 'Awww, would you look at…' She walked from the doorway to the foot of her bed. She stood in front of the footboard and spied the scene. She quietly enjoyed the view. Both Eric and Lucien were laying on her bed, asleep. Both males were laying on their right sides, spooning. Eric was the 'big spoon' who slept closest to the edge of the bed. His left arm was casually draped over the midsection of the 'little spoon', who slept with his thumb in his mouth. Both father and son lightly snored. '…that! My two— Oh, for flipping's sake, would you stop that?!'

Nasira huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes. She backed away from the bed and traveled over to the chest of drawers. She fetched some clean nightclothes and threw them on. Afterwards, she gingerly slipped into her bed and turned off the light. She rolled onto her left side and attempted to watch the bed's other occupants as they slept. When she realized that she couldn't see them, she closed her eyes and just listened to their snores. She listened until she pulled into slumber's warm and cozy clutches. 'This is nic—

The sound of applause was the culprit that managed to knock Nasira from out of her stream of recollection. She jerked upright in her stone chair and her eyes wildly blinked before scanning the dimly-lit classroom. Her pupils and irises took in the sights of her fellow colleagues applauding just as a presenter was walking over to a darkened corner, the designated spot where all of the seminar's presenters were assigned to stand. Relief kissed at her spirit. 'This is finally over… I think.' She proceeded to clap her hands to the same melody that the other chief technicians were performing. She sighed. 'Oh thank goodness! This shit was boring!' Her eyes spotted the main coordinator for this event approach the edge of the small stage, which was facing the rows of 'students'. His all-blue outfit was a stark contrast from the sea of black that was presented before him. Nasira still found the occurrence of Erudite members visiting her home faction to be odd.

The coordinator continued to clap his hands for a few seconds before he came to a gradual stop. He turned to face the shadowed corner. "Thank you, Daniel, for that informative presentation! I also found that presentation to be entertaining as well. Once again, thank you!"

'Not all of us,' Nasira's brain quoted while the body stamp down on the urge to yawn.

"—presentation!" The seminar orchestrator then turned his attention to the classroom. His large hands performed a clap. "Before we can conclude with this seminar, I would like to know if anybody have any questions about the Star Pro-One's features?"

Despite the stone-covered room being laminated by the projection screen, Nasira still scanned the room, at her colleagues. 'Okay you shit-stains, don't you dare…'

A hand quickly shot up in the air. As a result, a wave of groans and hisses of disappointment filled the room. The orchestrator took it all in stride and proceeded to grant the inquisitive person permission to speak. With the point of his right hand, the person stood up from their seat. Based off of the curvy shadow of this person's profile, Nasira assumed that the person was a woman.

'A woman… Oh no! Please don't let it to be—

"First off…" the shadowed woman started off her statement.

Nasira recognized the nasally-pitched tone. A sense of disappointment flooded her core. A silent groan fell from her opened mouth while her eyes rolled. 'Got-damn it, Rayna! It's always you!' She settled in her chair.

"…I would like to say 'good morning' to all of you…" She proceeded to eye the technicians, the presenters and the seminar's organizer.

"Fucking Rayna…" It was uttered from under a man's breath. The statement, which was filled with scorn had come from the lead technician that occupied the desk and chair to her left. "…Now we'll all be here for another hour by the time you're done."

Rayna kept talking. "…I have a couple of inquiries…"

'Of course you do… Ya damn teacher's pet!'

"…Let's start with the very first slide, shall we?"

The classroom started to fill up with the sounds of groans, sucked teeth and the cries that belonged to the furniture as more weight were added to them. Nasira's own chair cried out as she settled deeper into the chair with her hand covering her eyes.

 ***~oMLo~***

After the seminar was declared over and the participants were granted permission to exit the room, Nasira made her way back to her department. As she drawn closer to her cubicle, she heard her desk's phone ring. Even in her high heels, she made a light trot over to her desk.

She snatched up her phone's receiver. "Good morning. Systems Analyst Department. This is Nas—

"Nassy, are you alright?!"

For a pair of seconds, Nasira did not recognize the voice of the caller. It sounded as if she was talking to her brother Trigger. But it couldn't be him. Trigger, despite having such an aggressive-sounding name, was a person that could've been best described as 'calm, warm and had an even temper'. This person sounded as if they were ready to kill or maim someone. "Trigger, is that you?" she asked.

"Yes, it's me! Now answer my question, please. Are you alright?"

'He saw them,' her brain concluded. 'The cameras.' Her dark brown eyes rolled in their sockets and stared up at the ceiling that belonged to the cavernous room. Her eyes captured the sight of numerous black domes that flickered green lights.

*~oMLo~*

 _"You remember how when Pops used to discipline all of us boys, when we misbehave in school… Some of those times were due to us beating some boys' asses because they were disrespecting you like you were some meat-trap…You would've noticed how all of the boys, and even the men, stared at you. Even now…"_

It had been weeks since her conversation with Rogue, in which he uttered those words. She didn't even bother thinking about them, until today. It was on this day, when she finally understood the gravity of these statements.

She finally saw physical examples of what her brother had told her. It began once she left her home and was walking through her apartment building's lobby. She caught a few male passersby's ogling her. Then she managed to catch a few more examples as she walked to her Jeep Wrangler. She caught a break when she was in her vehicle as she traveled to get to work. She caught more examples as soon as she exited the vehicle and as she traveled to The Mind. There were men, and women, who were brazen enough to openly ogle her form as she walked. The more discreet people would wait until she had walked pass them before they started to peep at her. She felt their heated glares beating down her back and her ass.

'I don't know how I should feel about this,' she quietly pondered as she stood in line for the first security check-point. 'All I did was throw on a skirt and a sweater today and some heels.' She glanced down at her feet, which were decked out with some pointed-toe high heels. She stared straight ahead, at the person who stood in front of her.

By the time she arrived to her department, Nasira was very annoyed and downright itching to punch something. She also was feeling a little bit of regret for choosing to wear an outfit that made her a recipient of such vulgarity. The catalyst for her abrupt change in her mood were the Dauntless guards that manned each security check-point. During her first check-point, the pair of guards shamelessly tried to flirt with the computer technician. At first, she considered their attempts to be harmless and a wee bit funny. But then it teetered off into the 'annoying and irritating' territory, when one guard refrained Nasira from passing through the metal detector. He wouldn't allow her to pass through, and in effect enter the building, until she gave up her contact information. This action led to a delay, which led to several Dauntless members expressing their distaste towards her. Thanks to a high-pitched, verbal threat of notifying their supervisor from an awaiting worker, she managed to pass through the detector without handing out her phone number.

For the second check-point, which occurred near the elevators that led to the sub-levels of the building, she dealt with more unnecessary and inappropriate behavior. This time, it didn't come from a bunch of over-heated, horn-dogs. This tandem comprised of male and female Dauntless guards. The male guard responded to her in a typical, professional manner. He gave a casual greeting and then he asked to see her employee identification badge. Her trouble began, when she dug into her backpack for the badge. The female officer took it upon herself to cause Nasira' bag to drop to the floor, after she used her metal detector wand to rip the leather backpack from her hands. Then the woman used the little authority that she owned, to humiliate Nasira even more. She issued the order of another body scan, courtesy of her handheld metal detector. As shorter woman scanned and surveyed the younger Grant woman, her wand would "accidentally" strike her during the search. First, it was against her collarbone and chest, in the form of a hard thump. Then there was a hard strike against the chignon that was styled at the nape of her neck, which was followed by an "accidental" strike against the side of her face. This particular move caused her square-shaped, plastic eyeglasses to fly off of her face. Her eyewear landed on the cold, concrete floor. She quickly bent down to snatch them up, before the guard's foot could _accidentally_ step on them. She slipped them back on as she rose up. Her eyes landed on the other guard as he stood by his podium. He tossed her a look of mild sympathy. Seconds later, she given a brusque grant of being able to leave.

The third check-point was built near the entrance into the second sub-level, which housed her department. Just like with the guards at the first check-point, these men attempted to flirt with her as she approached to go through the metal detector. However, unlike the first group of guards, these attempts didn't feel harmless and funny. They were scary and crass. They came from a trio of men that wore their aggression like they wore their uniforms. They gave off the notion that they wouldn't settle for a polite 'No' or the 'I have a boyfriend' lie. Her eyes kept making glances at the black, small domes that were mounted on the ceiling. When she walked through the threshold of the free-standing detector, one officer slipped his handheld device into the space, which caused the metal detector to emit a loud screeching noise. After she 'failed' the search, she was practically dragged to a corner by an officer for a 'more, thorough examination'. Her internal alarms were going off inside of her head as she was led away. Her mind was drawing a blank, when it came to a plan in which she had to physically defend herself. She was led to an unoccupied corner that was fifteen feet away from the check-point designated location. The gruff and aggressive guard instructed her to lift up her sweater and showcase her brassiere-clad breasts, for a quick search. Fear dissipated and righteous anger had taken its place, after she heard this pig-of a-guard's demand. With a tone that barely restrained her true feeling, she informed the guard that she refuse to satiate his perverted whims. Then she reminded him that she knew his boss, after all, she occasionally sat across from him during family dinners. If it wasn't for the fact that she was feeling enraged, she would've been pleased with the guard's sudden change in behavior. His expression quickly changed when he realized that she still stood in front of him. With a snarl covering his top lip, he ordered her to continue moving. She didn't want to acknowledge the sensation of relief while it ran through her veins. She continued on.

The fourth and final security check-point was considered a breeze, for Nasira. The pair of male Dauntless guards held a level of professionalism. One guard checked her identification badge as she passed through the metal detector while the other guard perused the interior of her knapsack. Once she was deemed safe by the two men, she was given a 'Have a nice day' and was permitted to enter the grounds. However, before she was out of an earshot, she heard one of the men classify her as a 'meat-trap trying to look like a lady'.

She entered her department and briskly walked to the closest women's restroom. She was relieved to see that the bathroom was empty. She barricaded herself in one of the stalls and she proceeded to scream into the hook of her left arm. She screamed in hope of expelling all of the anger and rage that burned inside of her. She screamed as images of violence and carnage flashed through her mind. The muffled cries of rage bounced off of the ceramic tiled walls, in the shapes of echoes. She stopped once she felt the strain on her vocal cords. She had taken five shuddering breaths before she reached for the stall's lock. Nasira and her backpack made their way to the sinks and mirrors, where she fixed her hair and wiped away the tear stains from her cheeks.

*~oMLo~*

"Yes, I can see you," he simply stated. She detected a small amount of amusement in his tone. "Are you alright?" he reiterated.

"Oh, yeah… I'm alright…Now," she stated as she tore her attention away from the ceiling. She pulled her rolling chair out from underneath her desk and then sat down. Her left hand snatched up her hot pink stress ball. "I'm still a bit pissed off, though," she confessed as she squeezed the ball. "How did you know about it? I thought you don't man the cameras."

Trigger gave a joyless chuckle. "You're right, I don't man the cameras. It was brought to my attention by Four…"

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and a smile was written on her lips. 'Four… Always the boy scout.'

"…One of the men from his unit caught it and alerted him. He called me and I tapped into the feed. I know that you are pissed, sugar. I can hear it in your voice." He sighed. "And you don't have to worry about them fucks. They are going through the process of being transferred, as we speak. By noon today, their asses will be gone."

"Where are you transferring them?"

"They will be manning the wall… In the Northwest sector," he reported with glee.

She was quickly reminded of the reputation that the northwest sector of the wall possessed. It was the section that gave trouble for all of the five factions' officials. It was the section of the wall that was built to be an actual wall. Fifty-four feet of concrete that was lined with thick barbed wire. There were problems from both sides of the wall. The northwest section of Chicago was where majority of the factionless lived, thanks to the abandoned yet functional buildings. The factionless members outnumbered the small Dauntless platoon that guarded that sector, by eight-to-one. If it wasn't for the heavy artillery that the small group owned, an uprising would've surely erupted by now. Then there were the problems that occurred on the other side of that wall. According to some of the elder Dauntless faction members, the northwest section of the city also held the entrance to The Badlands.

Nasira winced. "Hell on Earth," she murmured.

"Yeah, it is. I want them fucks to understand that they are there to do a job, which is to protect y'all, in The Mind. Not to dilly-dally and try to use their miniscule authority to belittle women and force women into romantic endeavors. They took the oath and they failed to follow it. So now, they must pay for their actions." He was silent for a few sections, before he had spoken again. "I'm sorry that it had to happen to _you_ , Nassy. But I am happy that I was able to see it."

"I'm happy that it happened to me, Trigger, and not some other woman," she confessed.

"I'm not happy that _it did happen_ ," he replied.

"They thought that I was a meat-trap, Trig."

"It doesn't matter what they thought, Nassy. You're a human being that deserved to be treated with respect, meat-trap or not a meat-trap. No woman should be treated in the manner that you were treated."

"You're right," she sighed. A multi-second stream of silence floated between the two callers. "So, how's Raquel? Are you going to finally make me an auntie or what?" she questioned, changing the subject. She had enough with the topic about being humiliated.

"I would like to get that woman to marry me first before we even touch that topic," her brother confessed. "So, what about you… _and him_?" Her brother's voice developed a coating of slight annoyance towards the end of that inquiry.

Nasira chuckled. "I told you already. Me and… _The Big Kahuna_ are not dating. We weren't dating, when Luke was conceived. Plus, he has a girlfriend too."

"I still can't believe the fact that you and him had _… You know_ …"

She laughed. "You are starting to sound like Rogue right now, Trigger."

"Trust me, we're not the only people who are thinking this way. Rogue and I are just the ones who openly admit it. Did you tell Dante yet? About you… And ' _The Big Kahuna_?"

"No. Nope. Nah. No way. Nah-uh. Nada. Nothing," she answered. "I don't want Dante to know anything… _Right now_. I know him. If he found out now, then he would drive all the way from Amity to here and he would've been on a massive hunt for Er— The Big Kahuna. He would then drag him and me to Candor, so we could get hitch in a courthouse. Nope, I don't need those kind of problems right now."

Trigger chuckled. "Well, make sure you tell him before Little Big Man's birthday celebration…"

Nasira smiled a bright one, after she heard her brother's nickname for Lucien.

"…next month. He and Trudy and the baby will be coming to the party, so…" his voice trailed off.

She huffed. "I know. He needs to know. Especially, if The Big Kahuna does show up—

"Wait… Did you just say that Eric will probably show up to the party?" She sensed the smile on her brother's face.

"Yes, he said that he would like to make an appearance at the dinner. Now will he show up? I don't know," she confessed. She hoped that Eric would make an appearance to their son's first birthday party. She didn't care if he show up during the first hour or the last several minutes of the party, she wanted him to be there.

"I think he will be there," reasoned Trigger. "I've only been in his presence a few times and from what I've seen, he appears to be a man of his word. If he said that he wants to be there, then I think he will be there…" Then in a tiny, gleeful voice, he uttered "…And here, Raquel and I were planning on staying for a little bit. Now I think we will stay for the whole party. I'm gonna bring my camera."

"You know what?" she breathed into the phone as she listened to Trigger's laughter.

"What?" he said into the phone with a chuckle attached.

Nasira placed the receiver back on the phone's cradle. A second later, her desktop phone rang. She picked it up. "What, Trigger?"

Her brother's laughter spilled from the phone's receiver. "You know that wasn't nice, Nassy" he lightly scolded in between his chuckles.

She attempted to fight the smile that was trying to mold itself on her face. "Bye-bye, Trigger."

There was a light wheezing noise and then a "Bye, Nassy. I love you, sister".

"I love you, brother. Now, go and stalk down some bad guys with your cameras."

Once she disconnected the call, she took a deep breath and reclined further into her chair. Her eyes scanned the cubicle as she acknowledged that she was in a better mood. The phone call with Trigger managed to calm the raging fire that was in her spirit. Her eyes came across the yellow, rectangular, strip of paper that was taped to her screen. It was a 'task ticket', a sheet of paper with an off-site assignment written on it. 'Speaking of which, why is this here? Rafe knows that I am on-site today and so does my men…' She reached for the yellow slip of paper. She immediately recognized Rafe's barely legible handwriting. 'Rafe, you son-of a-bitch… He could've given this to anybody else. Why me? Who…?' She started to read the information from off of the ticket. 'System's monitor is down. O.F.S. 38N. Leadership Wing…' Her sight landed on a familiar name. 'E. Coulter…Oh, of course! What-in the-hell does he want from me?'

The inquiry that was decorated with profanity was used again thirteen minutes later, when she entered the office-suite that belonged to Dauntless faction leader, Eric Coulter. She stood in front of the opened door, with her hands clutching her ample hips as she said it.

"You do realize that you've just addressed a Dauntless leader in such a crass manner?" the faction leader announced as he sat behind his desk with his eyes focused on his tablet. He did not bother to look away from his device to stare at her.

'Yup, and this is the same leader that had his mouth stuck on my pussy last night, as if he was born with it attached to his face,' she silently said to herself. A smug grin grew on her face. She had taken a few steps towards his desk. "I said that when we were in a public setting, then I would address you—

"Please make sure that my door is closed," he instructed as he continued to read whatever information that was on his tablet.

Nasira stopped mid-stride and turned back around. She strolled back to the door, which was left ajar. She pushed the heavy, wooden door closed and she heard a sturdy 'beeping' noise. Her eyes were drawn to the keypad that was on the door's handle. Her brow furrowed in confusion. 'Okay, I thought the keypads go on the _outside of the door_. Not on the inside.' She watched the small light panel that was above the keypad blink green lights for several times before it blinked one red light. 'Mmmm…oh well!'

She turned away from the door and then she proceeded to stroll up to her leader's desk. She detected the echoed noises that her stiletto heels made against the polished, black marble floors. The noises also alerted Eric as well. His blue eyes rolled in their sockets to form a fixed gaze on her. His head remained in the same position for a few seconds before turning to meet up with his eyes. Nasira's attention immediately captured the slight changes in Eric's form. His eyes managed to grow cold and emotionless. His body sat up straighter and grew rigid. His energy also became cold. It was this occurrence that caused her to halt. A strong chill clung to her exposed bits of skin as if it was a blanket, leaving a batch of goose-pimples in its wake. A ball of unforeseen pressure bit into her stomach and pelvis, which made her stomach muscles clench.

'What?' She slightly tilted her head to the left. "Eric, are you okay?" she inquired with a soft one which was full of genuine concern. He didn't respond to her inquiry. Instead he remained tight-lipped and kept his lingering, malevolent-inspired glower on her. So, she had spoken again. "Eric, are you—?

"Call me 'Sir'," the leader commanded. The left corner of his lips ticked.

She took note of the authoritative tone in his voice. It caused a sudden warmness to cover her skin. It rippled out in her body, causing her nipples to harden as well as her clitoris. A deep and gruff exhale slipped for her nostrils. She knew that she was not there for this. She needed to fix his computer. She built up a weak façade of professionalism. She licked her bottom lip. "Okay… _Sir_ , are you alright?" she asked him. She had taken more steps towards his desk. Her eyes still leveled a gaze of concern at the leader.

"I'm fine," he reported. He leaned forward slightly to drop his tablet onto the desktop. His blue eyes were still focused on her. He gave her body a thorough and appreciative surveillance. "You…" His eyes stared at her face. "…look… _different_ today."

Nasira peered down at her outfit of the day. Today, she wanted to look cute and indeed different than what she usually wore. She wore a figure-flattering, black cashmere sweater that held a 'V-neck' collar and quarter-inched sleeves. Along with the top, she wore a knee-length, A-line leather skirt and a belt that held a decorative gold buckle. Her feet adorned a pair of black, leather high heels which made her legs look longer and curvier. Her refined neck and wrists were adorned with gold jewelry. After her self-assessment, she glanced at the Dauntless leader. " _Different?_ How? Is it a _good_ different? Or, is it a _bad_ different?"

A smirk kissed his lips while a bit of a glint blew out in his eyes. "You look…Nice," he remarked.

A rumbling occurrence happened in her stomach while her cheeks blushed. A millisecond later, she heard a simple 'Stop it' in her head. But she couldn't stop the smile from forming on her face. "Thank you," she said to him. She arrived to the front of his massive desk. "So I was told that you computer's monitor was broken… again." Her smile had taken on a whole new meaning. She was secretly referring to the times when she was summoned to his office-suite, so they could discuss her 'boyfriend-stealing' methods. "Is it true this time or are you fibbing?"

Eric unleashed his own all-knowing smirk. His left hand touched at the computer's monitor. "It's not working…" The smirk was still impish. "…honestly," he declared.

Nasira managed to place herself in a protective bubble as she became more focused. "So what's wrong with it?" she asked as she rounded the left corner of the desk. Her eyes and attention were focused on the monitor that she didn't realize that she stood close to him. She was welcomed by the sight of a black screen. Her thumb pressed the 'power' button on the monitor and eyed the impending results. 'Nothing', she said to herself, a second later. Her fingernails tapped several buttons on the keyboard, in hopes of making something happen. Her eyes were focused on the monitor. 'Nope, nothing.'

As she worked, she didn't sense the presence that was slowly creeping up on her.

She took a few steps to the side and she peeped the back of the monitor. She found the problem. A few cords were resting on the desktop and not in their rightful places. He… '…unplugged the cords,' she concluded. 'Such a sneaky son-of a-bitch.'

It wasn't until she felt his hot and heavy hands attach themselves onto her rounded hips, when she realized that she fell into his trap. He also managed to frighten her as well. A high-pitched yelp escaped from her lips while a flinch fell from her body. She immediately turned to her commanding leader. "Eric! You've just scared the shit—

The action of having his face drawn so close to her own caused her statement to cut off. Her widened eyes tried to survey his actions. She felt his lips graze her own plush ones with a seductive sweep. Then they drifted down to her jawline. He traced the soft edge before trailing up to her left ear. "I told you to call me 'Sir'. I advise you to listen to me," he notified her.

Nasira huffed as she tilted her head to the right, exposing her left side even more. "Fine… _Sir_ ," she recited with a fringe of sarcasm. She was covered with more of his body's heat, when he drew closer to her. His investigating lips found comfort in planting pecks on her neck. Out of instinct, her hands clutched his brawny shoulders before drifting up to his hair. Her back arched, drawing her chest closer to his broad one. "I'm starting to believe that your computer is fine… Sir," she purred into his left ear.

A smug chuckle was sung into her neck. "Maybe it is. Maybe it doesn't work," he murmured before his tongue made a wet-hot trail from her neck to her collarbone.

As his mouth suckled on heated and perfumed flesh, his fingers were gathering the soft leather of her skirt. The slow crawl caused the material to caress her nylon-covered thighs and caused a delicious friction against her skin. A ripple of light pleasure floated through her sex. The skirt was gathered around her ample hips. His hands sought after the supple mounds of flesh that was her ass. The elastic bands that made up her garters kept pinching at her skin as his fingers kneaded her heated flesh. She felt Eric pull his lips away from off of her skin.

"What…?" Her ears picked up his voice. He sounded less intense and more surprised. He took a step backwards to peer down at her hips and legs. He came to a standstill, as his blue-eyed gaze observe her lingerie-decorated lower body. He was silent and his body didn't move an inch. Then all of a sudden, there was the sound of a rushed exhale and the sound of a backwards step. His eyes flickered up to her face. "Take off your clothes," he ordered.

Nasira detected the hint of disapproval in his voice, as well as, anger at her. Her brow furrowed while confusion settled into her eyes. 'I don't understand…' Her lips parted.

"I said, take off your clothes," she heard Eric say once more, with more stoic-tinged authority. He made her feel like she was an initiate than the woman of his desire.

She eyed him as her fingers sought the ornate, golden belt buckle. She unlatched the fastening and then pulled the belt off of her hips. She dropped it to the floor. The belt buckle made a harsh noise once it landed on the floor. She quickly peered down at the item before she returned her attention to Eric. Her fingers then found the smooth, round button and the zipper of her skirt. She quickly unfastened the article of clothing. She wiggled her hips and shimmied out of the skirt. Once it pooled at her ankles and feet, she stepped out of it. Her fingers sought the hemline of the soft sweater. She pulled the article of clothing off and was briefly blinded from his heavy glare, as it traveled pass her face. The top joined her skirt and belt. She bent forward slightly to slip her right foot out of her shoe.

"Stop," he commanded. "Keep them on."

She obeyed. Now, she stood in front of the Dauntless faction leader, only in her underclothes and high heels. She observed the broad, brooding and imposing figure as he stood inches away, in front of her. She noticed the position that he placed himself in: arms were folded, his feet were hip-width apart and his entire form was straight as an arrow. It was a leader's position. She spotted no warmth in his eyes as he leveled her with a glare. Her skin buzzed, leaving her feeling both hot and cold.

"What—?

"Turn. Around," he instructed, cutting her inquiry's citation off.

Enlightenment struck her. She felt the corners of her mouth tilt. Her eyes peered down at the prominent bulge that he was sporting. Her eyes flickered back to his face. There was no emotion. But it didn't intimidate her anymore. With a knowing smile, she faced the desk. She stared at the door as her hands pressed themselves against the desktop. Her ears listened out from any sounds of movement. Seconds turned into minutes and she still waited for his move. The anticipation caused the buzzing to increase ten-fold. It also caused her layer of thrill to run through her. Her curiosity caught the best of her and she was about to glance over her right shoulder.

"Don't look at me," he demanded. "Keep your eyes on the door."

Nasira turned her attention back to the door and she waited. Just as she was about to disobey him by glaring at him, he made his move…

…And it was only to answer his telephone, which began to ring at that moment.

She growled in disappointment. She was instantly warmed by his body's heat as he stood close to her. She watched his sleeveless arm reach out in front of her and fetch the phone's receiver. "What?" she heard Eric say into the talk-piece.

"So rude," she muttered. A second later, she received a sharp smack on her semi-bared bottom. She flinched and then a low chuckle spilled from her mouth.

"Put him through," he ordered.

An idea struck her, at the moment. She made a sideways glance at his profile. He was still chatting on his phone. She took note of his diction. He was polite and expressive. She assumed that the caller was another authority figure. She drew her lips closer to his jawline, where she placed a kiss. Her eyes spotted the sideways glance. So, she slowly turned her body around and faced him. 'Oh,' her brain muttered in quiet surprise.

Eric stood in front of her, bare-chested and with the fastenings of his jeans loose. His hair-covered, sculpted chest and defined 'Adonis' belt' were on display. There was a peek of his underwear's waistband. Her fingernails danced along the edge of the elastic band. She saw his abs tense and then soften in response. A huff was issued, which she knew was a warning. She smiled. She planted a kiss on his collarbone. Her fingernails tantalized his nipples by lightly scratching at them. Her fingertips traced the outer rims of his areolas. There was an audible grunt expelled from his throat. Her lips captured the right hardened nub and suckled. There was a slight jolt and a deep grunt, a second later. A hand wrapped around the back of her neck, a sign of encouragement. Her eyes did a short glance at the underside of his chin before resuming with her task. Her mouth drifted off to the left nipple, where she administered the same amount of pleasure. Meanwhile, her right hand cupped his denim-shrouded hardness. Her palm and fingers stroked and massaged. Another rugged huff floated to her ears. Her teeth gave his hardened nub one last graze. Her pursed lips kissed each defined abdominal muscle as she slowly sank to her knees. The tip of her tongue dipped into his navel just as her fingers pulled the zipper down. Her tongue traced the Adonis' belt. Her fingers pulled at his jeans and underwear. She pushed his clothes down the dense columns of his legs. She cupped the backs of his thighs and she stared up at the leader.

Eric was stoic and tight-lipped as usual. But his eyes held emotion. He displayed his desire and his want…For her. The notion caused her sex to weep even more. She returned her attention back to his hardened member and bulging sacs. With a heavy moan falling from her lips, her mouth enveloped the bulbous glans. She felt the hand leave her neck and grab onto the ornate knot that made up her hair. His arm's strength applied pressure, a silent request for her to add more of his cock to her mouth. She complied by subjecting more of his length into her wet cavern. Her right hand pumped at the unsheathed portion. Restrained grunts coated the stoned walls and the polished floors that made up the office. She was pleased with the knowledge that she was making that steely façade crack.

"Ahhhh…." His mouth gasped just as she felt the muscles in his legs tightened. A split second later, her mouth was decorated with his seed. Her hand grabbed the base of his prick and held on as she slipped him from her mouth. She quickly swallowed the salty essence and watched his member dangle in between his thighs.

"I understand and it is affirm…"

Nasira glanced at his face. He was speaking into his phone's receiver. She had totally forgot about the phone call. His eyes were focused on her. His hand left her hair and cupped her right cheek. Her eyes peeked at the probing hand. Her bottom lip was subjected to his thumb's probing. The sole of his digit performed a few grazing sweeps before settling on the plump lip. He pressed down and forced her lips to part. Her dual-tipped tongue slithered out of her mouth and did its own probing. She licked at the fingertip before drawing it into her mouth. With a purr to her lips, she sucked on the finger with a strong pull. Her eyes stared directly into his eyes. Then her eyes peered down at his point of arousal and discovered he was fully awake again.

Minutes later, she found it to be amazing that he was able to take a phone call and her mouth's ministrations simultaneously. His voice did not reflect his current physical status. There wasn't a sign of the carnal pleasure that his body was receiving from this action. He was able to keep his brusque grunts and sharpened inhales from spilling into the talk-piece of the receiver. His body, however, kept showing off his pleasure. His body occasionally twitched and his thighs' muscles would squeezed underneath her hands. With every stroke from her mouth, his hand would squeeze at her skull.

This time, Eric came with a sharp inhale spitting from his nose. Fortunately for the leader, he was in the process of listening to the caller's speak. The hold that he had on her hair became stronger while his hips' thrusts were ill-coordinated and sloppy. His thick legs trembled.

Nasira swallowed as much as she could. Her fingers wiped away the amount that spill from her lips. She stared down at her ample chest and took note of the evidence of his eruption. 'Damn it. This is a new bra.'

"What about the participation from Johanna, in Amity?"

She looked at the leader as he continued to work. He stared straight ahead as he spoke into his phone. Her eyes followed his movements as she stay kneeled on the floor. He made large steps to his chair, even though the movements should've been restricted by the pants and underwear. He sat down in the executive chair and then relaxed. She kept her laughter to herself. 'It looks like my job here has been completed.' Nasira gingerly stood up. Her knees released dull pricks of aching as she stood. She eyed her items on the floor. She bent down to fetch them.

"Leader Holland, may you please hold on for a second?" she heard Eric announced. A second later, there was an "I didn't say that you could leave, subordinate".

She glimpsed at Eric. He was staring directly at her. The receiver was pressed into his left shoulder. 'Yup, he was talking to me.'

"Get on the desk," he ordered.

Her brow furrowed again. She wasn't expecting this from him. She maintained the expression as she obeyed his instruction. She made a few backward steps until her ass bumped into the edge of his desk. Then she politely slipped onto the surface. She crossed her legs at the ankles and placed her folded hands on her lap. She gave him a look of mild submission.

"Lean back on the desk," he instructed.

She obeyed his orders and she found herself observing the ceiling. In this lounging position, she felt uncomfortable. The weight from her dangling legs were added obscene amount of pressure on her lower stomach, hips and pelvis. To counteract the weight, she bent her knees and placed her shoe-adorned feet on the desktop. Her fingers wrapped around the stilettos.

"Open your legs," he commanded. After she complied with his order, he issued another command. "I want you to finger yourself." She heard the amusement in his voice.

'What?' Her head lifted off of the desk's surface and she glared at the leader. He still was sitting in his chair with his hand pressing the phone to his shoulder. His eyes were still focused on her face. In her peripheral view, she caught his other hand making lazy pumping motions against his lower extremities. Her line of sight drifted down to his groin. Her pupils dilated with rapt interest as she viewed his hand's actions. His fingers stroked at the semi-aroused member. She knew that he would reach his full state in no time.

"Go on," he further instructed.

Nasira gave him one final glance. Then she rested the back of her head against the smooth desktop and she stared up at the ceiling. 'Okay, Nassy, you can do this. You can do this…' She closed her eyes and she inhaled. She exhaled a breath as the thought of 'You can do this…' played in her mind. This lascivious act was one that she had never participated in with any of her previous boyfriends. She didn't consider herself to be a sexual prude. Over the years of her young adult life, she performed unconventional sexual acts, most of the acts that she enjoyed while there were some that she wouldn't entertain the notion of doing it again. However, the act of masturbating in front of man was one that she has never performed. Since her years of puberty-infused adolescence, one of her mother's lessons of sex was about committing the act of self-pleasure in privacy. At that particular moment, it became apparent to Nasira that the lesson managed to stick.

Using her natural-born logic, she realized that her imagination was the tool that was needed in order to complete this particular order. She performed a few deep breaths to calm her rattled nerves. Her body relaxed against the thickened wood. She dug through the layers of memories; the erotic and sensual events that she created with the seated man. Close to four weeks passed and they've managed to create plenty of them. She came upon one that she deeply favored. It was a memory that was created two weeks after Eric entered her life once again. He entered her home on a late night, when all of the occupants were sleeping. He crept into her bedroom and into her bed. He woke her up from her deep slumber in the manner, which he knew that she would appreciate. The night's ambiance was special. A heavy thunderstorm passed through the night, leaving the sky to light up with lightening and the room to fill up with the booming sounds. On that night, she believed the both of them were revved up with pent-up energy and need.

Her idea worked. Her body quickly grew over-heated with arousal. Her skin was hot while her sex grew hotter. The walls secreted her essence while emitting an ache. Her clit and nipples throbbed. Her hands and fingers sought those troublesome places to alleviate the discomfort. The fingers from her left hand attacked the elaborate-rhinestone clasp of her brassiere and freed her breasts. Her right hand slipped underneath the thin lace layer that was her underwear and sought after her sex-slicked pearl. Her fingertips drawn circles against her hairless, petals and hardened nub. Her fingers kneaded the mounds of supple flesh and erected nipples. Her rubbing fingers sank further down her slick seam to her cunt's entrance. Her saturated middle finger pushed pass the fleshy barrier and plunged into her warmth. The heel of her hand ground titillation into her clit. Her lips parted to allow a deep moan to spill from her mouth. Her pleasure tore through her semi-naked frame.

Her lips were soon covered by a meaty, hot palm. Her eyes snapped open and she was welcomed by the sight of a barely-dressed Eric Coulter. His fixed gaze was on her. The phone's receiver was still glued to his ear. Her eyes followed his hand's actions as he peeled the phone away from his ear and placed it on the phone's cradle. Suddenly, the office-suite was filled with various voices. Her eyes looked at the phone and saw that the speakerphone feature was activated. The line of sight didn't linger too long on the phone. Her attention returned to her leader-slash-lover, when his meaty paws pried her thighs further apart. The outer curves of her thighs were pinned down to the desktop. She lifted her head off of the desk and she stared at him. His left hand snatched up the seat of her panties and brutally yanked on the material. The fabric submitted to his strength. His thick, hot fingers removed her hand from her sopping sex and took its place. His fingers committed to a few swipes at her cunt before sheathing two of his fingers. Pleasure and passion forced her back to arch and a moan to spill from her mouth. Her hands cupped her mounds and kneaded the flesh. She continued to moan softly during the series of finger thrusting. His fingers pulled from her slit and was replaced with his prick. Her body flinched with pleasure as he subjected more of himself in her warmth. She heard his groan as he bottomed out. His mouth found the swell of her neck. The sensitive skin was already raw from his late night activities. The mixed sensations of pain and pleasure just added to her arousal. Her legs attempted to wrap themselves around his waist, but only one managed to complete its task. But it was for a brief moment because he removed the leg and placed the back of it against his chest. Her shin and calf draped over his shoulder.

His cock did a slow crawl out of her cunt. His member teasingly traced her seam with his glans. The bulbous tip occasionally tapped her clit with each passing swipe. A family of light gasps escaped from her mouth while her hands clutched his wrists. "Please, stop…teasing me," she whimpered. "Please, S-Sir."

His lips lined her jaw and chin with kisses just as he lined his hardness up to her womb's entrance. Without any signals, he sheathed his prick with her body. A trembling moan floated into the office-suite's atmosphere. His teeth gave her bottom, plump lip a nip. "Look at me," he commanded. Once she opened her eyes and gazed into his blue orbs, he continued speaking. "I. Plan. On. Fucking. Those. Glasses. Off. Of. Your. Face." With each enunciated word, his hips gave her a sharp, shallow stroke. Then he slid his entire length out of her before returning. His hips changed their pace and began to move at a moderate speed while striking deeply.

She was dumb-struck by the pleasure that encapsulated her mind, body, spirit and her heart. She was left with her eyes fallen to half-mast, her jaw slacked and her skin humming while burning. Inhuman-like moans bubbled up in her throat. Her fingernails dug into his wrists.

"Oh, fuck yes," she heard him grunt into her neck. "…You're so fucking tight for me, baby." His citation of that term of endearment caused her clit to release a deep pulsating sensation.

Her pulsating clit bled out a sensitivity that made every bit of movement against her feel ten-times better. The rough strands of his pubic hair felt heavenly, when his pelvis slammed against her, with every thrust. The feeling on his thumb caused several tremors of pleasure, when it flick at her clit while he continued to stroke. It managed to push her over the edge. Her right hand released his wrist and traveled to her mouth. She screamed into her hand as she climaxed.

"Put your arms around my neck," he grunted into her collarbone.

Nasira complied and soon found herself being carried by the Dauntless leader. Her legs finally met up with each other, around his waist. They crossed at the ankles just as his cock appeared to sink deeper into her wet cavity. Her body shook with residual orgasmic tremors. "FFFFFFFFFFFF…uuuugghhhhh-cccckkkk," she cried into the left shoulder. Her arms tightened even more around his thick neck. She felt his sweaty palms mold themselves against her ass while his fingers clutched onto her. Then, there was the first thrust. It was so forceful that it caused her teeth to chatter and a squeak to fall from her. The ones that followed caused her body to shake upon the impact of their joining. A thick layer of perspiration formed in between the two, semi-naked bodies and the sweltering humidity that clung to the air didn't help. But, his hands didn't falter when it came to their tasks. He continued to hold onto her as his cock doled out pleasure. The knot returned and it caused her belly to tremble. "I'm about to come," she moaned in the form of a whine. "Er-Eric," she moaned before unraveling once more.

There was a dip in the height, which was followed by a series of short masculine grunts. A millisecond later, there was a passing warmth and the sounds of water dropping to the floor. The skin that covered her bottom was tapped by the cold wood from his desk. She followed her instincts of releasing her hold on his body. Her palms slapped down the space behind her back while her feet touched the floor. As she sat on the edge of his desk, she took note of the spastic twitches that her quadriceps performed. Her whole body was shaking. Her watery eyes glanced at the beautiful man who was still standing in front of her. He was pulling his underwear and jeans over the luscious swell of his ass. His eyes were pointing at the floor.

Reality struck her with the same force that a spoonful of arsenic would do to a person. It was a slow build but when it struck, it was impactful with no point of returning to its former state. She realized that she just had sex with the father of her son, who happened to be a leader for her faction. A faction leader who was supposed to be participating in a conference call, currently. They could've been caught by his fellow leaders and they could've been caught by his secretary, who was probably in the next room by now. '…Plus, there's the other thing.' She was immediately reminded of it. Her heart began to pound while her stomach pulsated. '…I gotta get out of here.' She stood up. Her eyes scanned the floor. She spotted the pool of his spilled seed on the floor, which was millimeters away from her pile of clothes. "Please tell me that you have a bathroom in here that I can use," she inquired.

"Did you say something, Dauntless Leader—?

The inquiry came from the speaker of the phone. It was from one of the conference call's participants. Nasira realized that she had spoken too loudly and it was picked up by the caller. She immediately stared at the Dauntless leader. He was glaring at her with a mild sense of irritation, but she felt that it wasn't aimed at her, but at her minor mistake.

"No," he stated with his eyes still focused on her. "No, I have nothing to say. Please, continue." The office-suite began to be filled by the sounds of a monotone voice and a soft static noise playing in the background. Eric stepped into her personal space. "Why do you need to use a bathroom?" he asked, with a petty-fueled playfulness in his voice.

Nasira's right eyebrow twitched. 'Are you kidding me?' A short chuckle fell from her mouth. "I need to clean up—

"No." The answer was simple and precise. His tone was authoritative.

"But, I can't leave here, looking like…" She looked down at her soiled body. "…this. I have to—

He quickly snatched up the back of her neck and then kissed her. The kiss was a gentle one and could've been misconstrued as an affectionate one. But Nasira knew better.

"I said 'No'… Because I want you to keep my scent on you, that's why." His teeth nipped at her bottom lip. "I want people to know that you're mine…"

 _'…you're mine…'_

Hearing those words made blood rush down to her sex, causing her labia and clitoris to become inflamed with need again. Her cheeks blushed with embarrassment. She knew that she should've found his words to be archaic and patriarchal dribble. But it turned her arousal into a full flame just hearing them.

"…After all…" he growled as he brought his lips to her neck.

Her thighs twitched as his fingertips plucked at her protruding pearl. A short, low gasp was spoken from her mouth. She turned her face towards his and her lips grazed his bearded cheek.

"…we are animals…"

Then she felt two of his fingers reintroduced themselves to her snatch. Out of instinct, she sat back down on the edge of the desk. Her thighs spread further apart and granted his digits permission to explore her slicked folds. A sharp gasp came from her and her head lolled backwards, after his hand slowly pumped into her.

"…right?"

"Eric," she gasped. Her hips began a slow winding motion on the desktop and against his probing fingers, adding more intense stimulation. "Eric," she moaned before biting into her bottom lip. She felt his puckered lips on her throat. His lips traveled up to her chin, where he planted a nip.

"You're mine…" he growled. His hand's ministrations increased. Now the heel of his hand was pressed against her clit. "…Tell me," he ordered.

Nasira moaned as her clit throbbed after he proclaimed his ownership over her. "Er-Eric," she moaned.

"Tell me, Nasira…" he grunted. "Or, I'll stop," he warned.

She wanted Eric to stop, but she didn't want him to stop pleasuring her. She wanted more than his fingers. She wanted another body part of his. "F-Fuck me," she whimpered.

Eric released a smoldering, but mischievous chuckle. "Not in a snowball's chance in Hell, baby." Then he pulled his hand away from her sex.

At the moment of emptiness, she unleashed a genuine sob. She was so close to cumming and he had callously taken it away from her. Her dark brown eyes gazed at him. She noticed the mischief dancing in his eyes. 'Bastard,' her brain cried.

"Unless… You tell me what I want to hear," he notified her with a sardonic grin gracing his lips.

'TELL HIM! TELL HIM! TELL HIM! TELL HIM!' Nasira didn't know if it was her body's instinct yelling at her or if it was her conscience. Either way, she wasn't a fool. She damned sure wasn't going to deny herself the pleasure. "I'm yours," she announced in a rushed whimper.

"No. No. No," he announced with a shake of his head. "I want you to tell me who you belong to," he said to her with a teasing lilt to his voice.

A slow whine fell from her lips. She swallowed and was reminded of the taste of his essence. "I…" she sighed. "I belong to you."

An arrogant chortle escaped from him. "You're mine, baby…" He gave her a kiss. "…Get off of that desk and face the door," he instructed. He continued to eye her as he drawn his fingers to his mouth. He sucked the remnants of her nectar off of his fingers.

Her widened. 'Well… Got… Damned.' She followed his command and positioned herself in the manner that he desired. For a few seconds, she was staring at the door and then she was staring at the sleek-looking phone that was on his desk. Her lower back was subjected to his pressing hand. His other hand was holding onto her left hip, guiding her ass into the right angle. The sounds of his clothes rustling reached up to her ears.

Both lovers groaned as they joined once more. He didn't allow her to adjust to his member's size. Eric performed with deep thrusts that struck every nerve in her. Nasira had to bite down into the heel of her right hand, in order to keep Eric's colleagues from knowing. It was during this deep fucking, when his hand slithered down to the spot in between her thighs. A second later, she felt his probing fingertips strum at her hardened bud. Her teeth clamped down harder on her hand while muffled cries permeated the air. When she came, she felt tears slip from her eyelids. The pleasure was too intense. It danced along the border of turning into discomfort. When her awareness returned, she was greeted with the sensation of lips on her back and silence, with the exception of her muffled panting.

Eric waited until she was calm and the last quivers subsided, before she felt his cock retreat. She was left with that shitty feeling of being emptied. His lips touched the curve of her right ear. "Get on your knees," he ordered.

On wobbly legs, she moved into the position. Once again, his thumb found purchase on her bottom lip. He applied a little bit of pressure. "I want to see that tongue of yours," he told her. His gaze was steady and it was aimed at her mouth. Once she put her modified appendage on display, his thumb slipped in between the crevice of the tips. Her tongue's tip embraced the digit. "Why did you get this done?" he questioned. He removed his thumb to allow her to speak.

Her eyes glimpsed at the erect appendage that stood ramrod in between his legs. Then she glanced at his face. "I got it…" She paused in order to cough out the hoarse texture that was lodged in her voice. "I got it, when I became an official member of the faction. I didn't want to do anything until I became one. I know a lot of initiates go and get tattooed or pierced because it serves as a motivation boost. Not me. I thought that I would jinx myself, if I did..." She sighed. "Anyway, I wanted my tongue to be split, ever since I was a kid. A tattoo worker that my father knew, had one—

"I know who you're talking about," he interjected. "He owns that shop in The Pit, the one that is almost in The Corners, right?"

Her cheeks blushed, when she realized that Eric was talking to her, about _her_. Usually they're conversations centered round three things: Dauntless, his itinerary for the day and about Lucien's well-being. She smiled as she nodded her hand. "Yeah… You're right. After the night in which the last results was revealed and it was certified that I was a faction member, I had gone to the tattoo place. I got it done on that day. I was given an aesthesia serum and I woke up hours later with this. It was a bitch to take care of it, because I couldn't eat or drink anything for the next twenty-four hours, though."

"What about your nipples? When did you get those done?" he inquired.

Her right hand reached out for his shaft, without any form of provocation. She gingerly pumped at the erect sex. His grunts were picked up by her ears. "My nipples…" She held onto his prick and managed to fetch the rolling chair that was behind him. 'Talk about multi-tasking.' She smiled. "…on the other hand, was something that I had chosen to do after an ex made the suggestion. I did it because I wanted to impress him." She patted the seat with her left hand, a silent suggestion for Eric to have a seat. He complied without being brooding. She slipped her body in between his opened thighs. Her full hand resumed its task. She watched her ministration of pumping at the hardened flesh. Her eyes did managed to catch Eric rest his head against the chair's headrest. His eyelids slowly rolled over his eyeballs and then his brow crumpled.

She gave his cock a few more strokes before she sheathed his member with her mouth. Her eardrums vibrated with the sounds of his moans. She pried her mouth off of him. "Ssshhh," she hissed. "Your meeting," she said in a terse whisper.

One cerulean orb focused on her. "The conference call is over. It's been over," he reported to her. His hand captured the crown of her skull. He gave her head a slight jerk forward. It was his way of asking her to continue.

She gave him one last glance before she returned to her task. Soon, she made him released a series of moans into the office.

*~oMLo~*

Her dark brown eyes searched for a clock. She had a feeling that she had spent too much time in the faction leader's office. In most situations, a broken computer monitor would've been replaced by a new and working one. It was a task that would take an half an hour, under normal circumstances.

"What are you looking for?"

She looked across the office-suite. Nasira stared at the commanding figure that took up space in the doorway that led to his private bathroom. His figure's current appearance made her pause. He was standing in the threshold wearing just a black, fluffy-looking towel wrapped around his hips and there was a layer of white shaving cream on his face. She glimpsed at the razor that was in his right hand.

"Ummm…" She stared up at his face. "I was looking for a clock. I wanted to know the time," she confessed.

"You mean to tell me that all of the shit that are on your wrists, one of them is not a watch?" he said to her, with amusement in his voice.

Nasira glimpsed at her bangle-adorned wrists and forearms. Then she glanced at him. "No," she stated, suddenly feeling both dumb and slightly embarrassed.

Eric chuckled. "Women," he muttered. His razor-holding hand pointed to a space that was on the other side of the room. "There's a clock up on the wall," he told her. Then he turned away from her and entered the bathroom.

She stood up from the chair, the last place he had taken her. She stared into the direction in which he pointed out. Her eyes found the clock. The time read eleven forty-eight in the morning. Shocked filled her soul as her eyes widened. 'Shhhhhhhhhh-it! I've been in here for close to two hours! Rafe is going to kill me and then throw my corpse into the Chasm!' She quickly climbed to her feet. Her feet, knees and thighs groaned out in protest. She snatched up her clothes. As she stood upright this time, a dull pressure built up in her lower belly. 'Bathroom before I go,' her brain muttered. She trotted away from the desk to the other side of the office-suite, to the room that Eric disappeared into. She was greeted with a thick layer of humidity, which was evidence that he had just finished taking a shower. It also served as a taunt towards her, ever since she desperately wanted to take a shower. "Eric, I need to use your bathroom," she announced as she stepped into the threshold. Her eyes took in the handsome and muscular form that was standing in front of a free-standing sink. He was facing the mirror that was mounted on the wall, above the sink. He was in the midst of shaving his left cheek.

"Why do you need to use the bathroom?" he asked as he continued to shave.

Her face grew a mask of confusion. "What?"

"I said, why do you need to use the bathroom for? I told you…" He stopped shaving. He tilted his head to face her, full-on. "…You're mine and I want everybody to know that." He turned back to the mirror and continued shaving. "Including those flashlight-fucks that were bothering you, this morning."

The aura of confusion evaporated as her knowledge poured down. Her delicate features smoothed out. "Oh," she whimpered. The feeling of mortification and embarrassment returned. "How did you find out about that?"

"I received an email letter from your brother. Whenever a Dauntless member is transferred from one role to another, every leader receives a notification. I read his notice." He looked down at the stream of water that fell from the faucet. He washed the razor. "Those assholes…Have they bothered you before?" The authoritative tone was back.

She shook her head. "No, just today. Today, only."

He resumed shaving. "You need to learn how to defend yourself, Nasira."

She scoffed in disbelief. Her action led to her being a recipient of an ice-cold glare. She even felt a chill cling to her. "Sorry," she whimpered. She watched him return to his task of shaving. "I don't…" She entered the bathroom. Her eyes found the toilet. "…see the point in learning how to perfect my kung-fu grip…" She gently pushed the seat down. Her hands had gone to the waistband of her panties. Then she realized that Eric ripped them off earlier. So she sat down. Immediately, the pressure in her lower stomach dissipated. "…All I need is a working trigger finger, if push comes to shove," she informed him.

"Sometimes, a gun won't get rid of a threat. What happens if you don't have a gun?"

"Then I'll use a knife," she pointed out.

"Don't be a smart-ass," he said to her as he rinsed used shaving cream off of his razor.

A comfortable silence floated into the room. She finished unleashing the pressure from her bladder while he continued shaving. She, unbeknownst to him, was observing the collage of scratches and nicks that marred the skin on his back. They were rained down on the space in between the bottoms of his shoulder blades and his lower back. She was about to apologize for her actions, when she took a glimpse at her fingers. More importantly, at her fingernails. The tips of her nails didn't even go over the slabs of skin that were at the tips. Her eyes then scanned his back again. The scratches and nicks were scabbed over. They were old. Her nails didn't marked up his back. In some cruel but weird manner of trickery, her mind began to make her smell the sickly-sweet scent of jasmine. The pressure returned to her belly, but this time it tossed and turned. Her eyeballs began to bother her. They were stinging. 'Fuck,' her brain whimpered. She looked away from his back and stared at her lap. "Fuck," she hissed so lowly that he didn't even hear it. A dull throbbing began to form, in the center of her chest. Her right hand touched the location. Her soothing touch didn't have the desired effect. The dull sensation disappeared and it was replaced with a sharper feeling. It also burned, in the same way that a case of heartburn would feel. She imagined her fist crashing into the face of one Dr. Anissa Howard. But then, she gathered her senses.

Nasira made a glimpse at his back again. "So… You're shaving?" She grimaced afterwards. She believed she sounded like a socially-awkward nose, who was attempting to impress a guy. "You looked good with the hair," she remarked. Once again, she thought that she sounded like a geek.

"I'm shaving because I thought that it was a time for a change," informed Eric. His head dipped forward a little. "Plus, Anissa hates the beard."

'Ugh, why did you have to mention that heifer?' She looked for the toilet paper dispenser. "Well…" She found the dispenser on her right side. "…I like your beard. You look very handsome with it…" She gathered a handful of paper. "…and it feels good against the insides of my thighs," she told him, with a smirk. 'Check…Mate… Please remind him about what we just did. He might be doing this for his girl, but he still has no problem fucking me.' She cleaned herself and then deposited the paper into the toilet bowl. She stood up. "But if you say that it's time for it to go, then it's time for it to go." She walked up to the leader. She placed a gentle hold on his right shoulder, as a way of alerting his attention. "Excuse me," she cooed. "Can I just wash my hands real quickly and then I'll be out of your hair," she told him. She gave him an expectant look. She watched Eric make a few sideway steps away from the sink. She took over. He stood a few centimeters away. She still felt his body's heat. She could still smell the fragrance of his bath gel and the shaving cream. She kept her line of sight on her active hands as they gathered up suds from a dollop of liquid anti-bacterial soap.

"What. Was. That?"

Nasira stared straight into the mirror, at the reflection of the man that stood next to her. A quizzical look marred her pretty features. "Mmm? What was 'what'?" she said to him.

"What was… _that thing_ that you've just performed?" he asked, while his head did a slight tilt.

"What performance are you talking about?" she asked, as her cheeks burned. She knew exactly what he was talking about, but she didn't want to admit it. She stared down at her hands. She threw them under the stream of water. "Can you please explain the _performance_ that I was doing just now?" she asked. 'Please don't say anything, Eric.'

He didn't say anything…at first. Then, with a sigh preceding, he stated "What we're doing…" His eyes committed a few blinks. "...We're just fucking…"

The Dauntless leader was unaware of the erratic jolt that her folded hands had done while they were rinsing off in the sink. He wasn't aware that the knot of pressure in her chest proceeded to spread into her breasts and into her diaphragm. He didn't see the watery glaze that covered her eyes.

"…You claimed that you knew where this could go and where it would end. You said that you could handle it, Nasira. You said—

"I know what I said…And I meant it," she told him. Her voice was the only feature on her that was normal. She was proud of it.

Eric sighed. "Do you want to end this? Or do you want to continue? Because I don't have time to deal with these emotional, head games…"

There was a silent scoff that occurred inside of her brain. 'He doesn't want to play emotional, head games but he's been playing them for the past two years.'

"…I have a lot of shit on my plate right now. So, do you want to end this as of right now? Or do you want to continue? But this time, without any snide remarks and puppy-dog eyes and—

'Stop—

Nasira suddenly turned to face him. "You know what? Let's end this," she blurted out before she allowed her cowardice to take over. "I think that we should… Break this whole thing off…" She nodded her head. "…Just end it before it could become messy. Well, _messier._ Anissa is your girlfriend and she deserves to be treated as such." She gave him one last nod. She noted the look of mild surprise that marked his face. She believed that he wasn't expecting her to say this. She felt the tingling of hope tickle at her subconscious. 'Stop that,' her conscience warned. "Are you coming over to see Luke tonight? He's been asking about you..." She inquired, changing the topic and subliminally letting Eric know that she was done with the uneasy subject. "...Well… Not _'asking'_ -asking about you, but he's been standing by my front door and pointing and saying 'Dada' for the past few days."

With the blink of his eyes, the mild case of surprise disappeared from his handsome, semi-bearded face. The sharpness of his glare returned. "I can't," he reported. "I have several things to do. By the time that I am finish, it'll be late. Past his bedtime."

A weakened smile fell across her lips. "Well…Okay." She took several steps away from him. She walked over to the toilet and pressed the lever, which flushed the contents. She gave him a glance. "I have to get going. Hopefully…" She made her way over to the threshold that was in between the bathroom and his office. "…I'll— I mean, Luke will see you within this week." Then she turned around and quickly made her way over to his desk, where her clothes were stored. Her hands picked up the leather skirt and clumsily slipped it on, before going after the sweater. Her fingers attacked the belt and ended up getting attacked back, when it aggressively slapped her hands. With slightly numbed fingers, she placed it on. Once she slipped the belt around her defined waist, she proceeded to make a hasty exit out of the office-suite. Except, his door wouldn't open. It was locked and it required a key-code in order to unlock. 'Fuck,' her brain grunted out in exasperation. She looked to the bathroom's entrance. "Um, Eric?" she called out, sounding nervous.

"Two-eight-fourteen-three," was the response that was sailed across the office-suite, from the bathroom.

Her shaky left index finger typed the number sequence into the keypad. A second later, the light panel flashed a legion of green four times before blinking one green light. She pulled the door open and slipped out. She closed the door behind her and then turned around. She came face-to-face with Eric's personal assistant-slash-secretary. When the technician first arrived to the office-suite, the woman wasn't at her usual post. She assumed that she must've gone to a nearby restroom. Now, the woman was back and she sat behind her desk. Nasira saw the woman turned her chair to a ninety-degree angle as she exited Eric's office. Now she was watching the Grant woman with an interest.

"Oh, it's you," the secretary stated simply. She turned her chair back around. "I thought you were Miss Howard," she clarified.

"I was…" Nasira made a few tentative steps towards the desk. "…fixing Dauntless Leader Coulter's computer. I received a call—

"Yes, I know," she stated, cutting her off. "I was the one who called you." The woman picked up a pen from off of the desktop. "So, did you manage to fix the problem?" the woman asked.

Nasira felt there was something different about the secretary. She was behaving nicely. Some of her manners needed a little tweaking, for improvement. But there was something off about her. "Yes, I managed to fix the problem. He had a problem with his printer," the technician told her.

"Oh, I thought there was something wrong with his monitor," the secretary mentioned.

 _'Ssshhhh-it_!' Nasira groaned silently. "Nope, it was his printer. He thought it was his monitor."

"Ohhh, okay" the bald woman murmured. Her eyes did a dance down into the location of Nasira's stomach. "So, you had the baby?" the woman asked.

Nasira committed a polite smile. "Yes. I had a baby boy. Well, he's not a baby anymore. He's about to turn one, next month."

"Awww," the woman swooned. Nasira couldn't tell if this woman was genuine or if she was mocking her. "What's his name?"

"Lucien," answered Nasira. "His name is Lucien."

"That's a unique name. I think he is the only one in Dauntless with that name. I don't think there's anybody in this faction with that name. I don't recall hearing it, when I was growing up."

"You're a Dauntless-born too?" Nasira blurted out. Once she realized her lack of proper etiquette, she immediately apologized.

The seated woman giggled a sound that was so un-Dauntless-like. It was light and full of warmth. It reminded Nasira of the color pink and the sun. "Don't worry about it," the woman told her with the wave of her hand.

Suddenly the sounds of hard rubber soles scraping across the floor penetrated the room and it caused both women to stop conversing. The fragrance of jasmine floated into the room. They turned their attentions to the entrance of the waiting area. Nasira felt her eyes narrow a little as she eyed Anissa standing in the doorway. 'She looks…very…Pretty today,' she reluctantly admitted to herself. Today, the young doctor wore a black sweater dress, black stockings with black high heeled boots. Her hip-length, mousy brown hair was pulled back and kept styled with a gold headband. 'She isn't even wearing makeup and she still looks drop dead gorgeous.'

Nasira watched the woman leave the entryway and walk into their direction.

"Good afternoon, Miss Howard," the secretary greeted the doctor. "I'll…"

Both the technician and the secretary watched the shorter woman walk past them and travel to the tall, double doors that led to Eric's office. She didn't even give the women a passing glance. She didn't utter one syllable to them. Her nimble fingers typed a sequence of numbers into the keypad. The sound of approval was followed. She entered the room and closed the door behind her.

'What a grade-A...'

"She's such a twat," the secretary mumbled under her breath.

Nasira's dark brown eyes landed on the bald woman. The woman's reaction was so unexpected. She continued to stare at her. A snort fell from her nostrils. Then a smile grew on her face, which was followed by a chuckle. It was a welcomed reaction. It was better than the morose feeling that was taken up space in her spirit.

*~oMLo~*

Nasira glanced down at her cell phone's watch and read the time as being one-thirty, in the afternoon. 'I'm a few minutes late, but the old lady won't hold it against me,' she surmised as she stepped off of the elevator and onto the eighteenth floor. She stepped out of the elevator bay and into the central part of the lobby, where an eighteen-foot water fountain stood. She dug into her skirt's pocket and procured a silver dollar. She made a glimpse before closing her eyes. Seven seconds later, she opened her eyes and then tossed the coin into the fountain's water.

"I can't believe you still do that."

She smiled, when she recognized the voice. She was reminded of mugs of hot apple cider, the safeness that came from this woman's hugs and her charm. She turned away from the fountain and faced her mother. "Mommy," she greeted cheerfully. Then she ran up to her mom. The older Grant woman waited with opened arms. They immediately embraced as soon as they were in close proximity. Warm and sweet kisses were given to her forehead. She giggled into her mother's neck.

 _"I want my scent on you…"_

She remembered Eric's words and her body tensed up. Fortunately for her, the older woman did not noticed the shift in her daughter's body. She loosened her embrace on Nasira. "So how's my baby doing?" she asked.

"I'm doing alright, Mommy," she announced as she let go of her mother.

"I wasn't talking about you! I was talking about my Bunchie!" her mother corrected her. Once her daughter's frowned up, her mother cackled. "I was just joking with you, baby!" The mother flicked her daughter's bottom lip in a playful manner. "Ohhh now, don't you stick that lip out at me!" she playfully scolded her daughter. She wrapped her right arm around Nasira's shoulders. "Now come on, let's go back to my office. Our lunches are getting cold."

As the mother led the way, the daughter did a quick sniffing to the collar of her sweater and to the sleeves. She wanted to make sure that she still smelled like the anti-bacterial foam that was dispensed in the employee's bathroom. Eric's 'alpha male claiming its mate' routine was considered sexy, but she wasn't a fool that was driven by sex. She knew that she needed to clean his scent off of her. Her mother had a sense of smell that was strong. She was sure that Mrs. Grant's nose would put a basset hound's nose to shame.

The older Grant led her progeny back to her office-suite, where she had a small feast laid out on her large desk. The younger Grant was placed in 'memory lane' once she entered the room and seen all of the food. Having lunch with her mother was a pastime that Nasira enjoyed, ever since she was a little girl. It was the kind of activity that she hoped that she would do with her own child.

"So, tell me, baby…" The mother took a sip from her bottled water. "…How are you and Eric?"

Nasira dropped her fork onto the plate. She gave her mother a wide-eyed glare.

"What?" Mrs. Grant glanced to both of her sides. "Did I say something weird? Didn't you tell me that you both were doing that co-parenting thing?" she said, sounding mildly bewildered.

Nasira sighed and then smiled. "Yes," she breathed. "We're co-parenting," she confirmed. "He's doing well…So far..." She stared down at her plate. She grabbed her bottle of water. "He's been doing well." She put the bottle to her lips.

Her mother cut a piece of asparagus with her fork and knife. She gazed at the items on her plate. "So how long have you been fucking him?" her mother stated so matter-of-factly.

A spittle of water sprayed out of her mouth and decorated her plate. She stared at her mother with wide eyes. "What—?

A sly smile spread across the older, beautiful woman's face. "You know _what_ I am talking about, Nassy. I know about you and Eric."

"H-How?" she whimpered. She dabbed her mouth with a napkin.

"Well, first of all, you're walking around looking like a damned nightlight because your skin is glowing. Then there's the fact that your…" She performed a nonchalant wave at her daughter. "…hips are spreading—

An incredulous look approached Nasira's face. "What?!"

"Yeah, your hips have spread out and you can't blame Bunchie for that one! He just made those big ol' things on your chest bigger," her mother stated in her natural twang. "But those hips of yours? No one on both sides of the family have those. You got your breasts and hair from your father's side of the family. And you got your good looks and legs from my side of the family. But those hips and that ass… Only a man's good loving could do that to you!"

Nasira's face did a slow grimace. " _Mmmmoooooommmm_ ," she groaned. She covered her face with her hands.

Her mother's laughter filled the large, but cozy office. "How do you think I got _my hips_?"

" _Mmmmmooooommmmm_!" she squealed into her hands.

"Oh stop it, Nassy! I am just talking about sex, which is a natural human instinct. It's just like farting… Or, belching… Or like scratching an itch. You've gotta get out of this awkwardness. You have a child, now. _A son_ , for flipping's sake. And you're gonna have to teach that boy about sex. Cause if you don't, then he's gonna learn about it from his friends and other people. The last thing you need is for him to be irresponsible with his dick…"

The younger mother slammed her right hand down on the desk. The lightweight eating utensils performed a harsh 'clang' against the hardwood. 'OH GREAT! Now I have my son's potential dick habits implanted in my brain! THANKS, MOM!'

"…and you don't want a girl showing up to your doorstep with a baby either! You see, I was open-minded and outgoing with you and your brothers about sex. And look at how well you guys turned out: I didn't received any pregnancy scares. No one came to me or to your father with their dicks in their hands because they fell off, due to some sexually transmitted disease…"

"Oh God… Mom," she groaned.

"Alright… Fine. I won't talk about sex anymore," her mother told her. She sighed. "Let's talk about you and Eric…"

'Got-damn it, mom.'

"…So, you're having sex with him…While he is attached to another woman…And you two have a child together. So, what is the arrangement between the two of you? Are y'all in one of those poly-amorous deals, where you and that gal know each other and are cool with it? Or she doesn't know about it?"

Nasira deeply sighed. She sat upright and removed her hand from her face. "She… Doesn't know about us," she confessed.

"Mmm," her mother hummed. Her lean further back in her executive chair. She gave her daughter an inquisitive scan. "So, how long are you guys planning to do this?"

The conversation that she had with Eric, in his office's bathroom, replayed in her mind. Then the emotions that she felt, at the time, came back. Quickly, her spirit was flooded with feelings of being inept and dumb, dampening the happy mood that she was just experiencing. She gave her mother a weak smile while her eyelids fluttered, attempting to combat the stinging sensation in her eyes. The thin layers of skin ended up losing the battle and her cheeks were soon stained with tears.

"Oh Nassy, honey-baby," her mother sighed with her compassion lace in her voice. "What—?

"I broke it off, this morning…" she confessed as her fingers cleaned up her face.

"What made you do it?"

"Sleep with him or do you mean the 'breaking up' part?" she inquired as she stared at her mother.

"The latter, honey."

"I know that I deserve better than this. I don't want to play the second fiddle in…" She did a non-committal wave of her hand. "…all of that. Plus, I don't want Luke to grow up and see me in that kind of relationship. I don't want him to grow up thinking that it is okay to treat women in that way. I also don't want him to grow up disliking his father because of _my choices_." She grabbed a napkin from off of the desktop. She wiped her cheeks dry.

"You love him, don't you?" her mother asked after a moment of silence.

Nasira nodded her head slowly. "Yes. But he is in love with another woman, so I'm not going to delude myself. I gotta move on. The thing is, I don't think he is going to allow that to happ—

Nasira's statement was disrupted by her mother's chortling. "Like he has the right to be making those choices for you!" She played with the bottle cap that was on the table. "Take it from me: a woman who has been around the block for a while. Eric… He's going to try to have his cake and eat it too. Take my word. Eric is a typical 'Dauntless Man': straight-up alpha male. He's going to be mad at you for dating other men, or _just looking_ at other men, but he will just deal with it."

The younger woman sighed. "How-in the-hell did I find myself…?" Her voice paused. She remembered something. She stared at her mother. "Mommy, did you hear anything from Atlas? About that thing that we've talked about?"

"Oh yeah!" her mother stated as she scratched at her throat. "Atlas told me a few things…"

"What did he say?"

"…It wasn't important. It was about her upbringing. She's a part of a dynasty, did you know that?" her mother told her.

'WHAT?!' She jerked upright in her chair. She eyed her mother. "How?" she said a wee bit forcefully.

Mrs. Grant's right eyebrow tilted with amusement. "Erudite. Her great-great-great-great-great grandfather's brother was one of the founders for that faction. Her lineage isn't direct… Like yours, but she is still a part of one. I think this is one reason why Atlas had difficulty accessing her psych records…"

'Him, too?!'

"…But he said that he needs more time to access it. If he comes across anything that is juicy, then I let you know," her mother reported.

"You know, I've seen the bitch today," she informed her mother.

"Oh yeah? Did she say anything to you?"

"No… And that was the problem. Eric's secretary said 'good morning' to her and she just ignored her and continued walking to Eric's office. She treated her like she was worthless. She acted like she was a villain from a damn Jane Austen novel."

Her mother's mouth created a light chuckle. "Well, _she is_ from Erudite. I think it is put into their heads to be snobby, you know, when they're kids…" Her mother's face did a slight grimace. "Ugh! I hate going to Erudite for diplomat sessions…" Her fine features smoothed out and she pointed her left index finger at her daughter. "Now, if you really want to see some real-life, Jane Austen villains, then go visit Erudite. That place has a shit-load of them! I remember when I first started…"

As the older woman began reciting her tale, the younger one leaned towards the desk, becoming totally enraptured. Her elbows touched the desktop and she rested her chin on the heels of her hands.

"…out as a diplomat, I used to loathe going to Erudite and having to deal with those diplomats. I remember I would come home— Way back then, I was living in a small, studio apartment that was located in The Corners. It was right above a Chinese Take-Out joint—and I would just scream into my pillows, out of anger…" Mrs. Grant broke out into a song of chuckles, which made Nasira laugh. "They used to get under my _sssskkkkiiiiinnnn_ …" Her voice transitioned into a pretty melody. It caused her daughter to remember where she inherited her talent of singing. "…with their back-handed compliments and their snide remarks and their stares— Oh, their stares! Let me tell you something about them stares, honey! Those Erudite stares used to drive me up a wall! Like they would just stare at you…" Her mother used her right index and middle fingers to point at her doe-shaped eyes. Her mother tried to mimic the glaring that used to make her go into a fit of quiet rage. "…like you were nothing. And ever since I originally came from Amity, they would definitely stare at me like I was worthless." Mrs. Grant chuckled and she stared at her lap.

Nasira smiled. "I remember those days when you had to go to Erudite," she pointed out. She giggled as her mind was filled with memories. "Dad would take those days off and he'd picked us up from school and he gave us the rundown of what we were supposed to do, when we arrived home. He made sure that the house was clean, we did our homework, we didn't make too much noise and that dinner was ready by the time you came home!" As she talked, she took note of her mother nodding her head and laughing. "He wanted to make sure that you weren't going to be stressed out about anything!" She giggled.

"That's because your dad knew how I could become, after those Erudite trips," she explained.

After a short moment of silence sailed between the two women, the daughter noticed a wide, lecherous grin grew on her mother's face. It caused Nasira's skin to chill. Her eyes narrowed and her lips smirked. "What, you old perverted woman?"

Her mother nodded her head slowly. "So… You had gone to Eric's office today, huh?"

"Yeah," she murmured. She glimpsed from side-to-side. "What about it?"

"Why were you there?"

"Because…" She crossed her legs. "…his computer was not working, so his secretary called down to Systems and asked for a tech to come up. I was given the assignment. _Why_ are you still smiling creepily?"

"Did you _just_ fixed his computer?" her mother asked with a knowing smile.

"Yee—

"Liar-liar, pants on fire," her mother sang before laughing.

Nasira rolled her eyes. "Alright…fine. Yes, _we did_ have sex," she confessed. "Are you happy now, you old woman?" she grumbled.

Mrs. Grant cackled. Once she calmed down, she sighed. She stared off into space. Then her eyes drifted off and landed on Nasira. A gentle smile tugged at the older woman's lips. She didn't say a word. She just gazed at her only daughter.

Nasira noticed the gazing, but she didn't say anything. But once a minute of silence passed, she couldn't hold it in. "Mommy, what?"

The older woman's lips pursed for a second before going back to smiling. The fingers from her right hand reached up to her elaborate head wrap, where they proceed to play with a row of fringes. With a slight tilt of her head, she said, "I wouldn't mind having another grandchild…" She glanced off to the side for a second and then back at her daughter. "…from you. I would _love_ to hold another granddaughter in my arms."

"Mommy, you have a granddaughter already."

"Yes, I am aware of that. I just want _you_ to have one. And I want you to name her after my mother…Zola." She glimpsed up at the ceiling and then glanced at her daughter. "Did I ever tell you that the maternal side of my family was originally from Dauntless until my grandmother decided to pick Amity?"

"Yeah…" She gave another sideways glance. She didn't understand why her mother was repeating facts from their family history. "…You've told us countless of times."

"Sometimes, I wish that the old woman would've stayed in Dauntless."

Nasira scoffed. "Mommy, you knew why your grandmother moved from Dauntless to Amity. Back in those days, this faction wasn't exactly kind to the elderly, which is why most of them jumped off the bridge and into the Chasm," Nasira pointed out to her mother. "Amity was safer. She thought that she was being smart."

Then there was a pregnant amount of silence. As the seconds ticked by, tension was filling up the room. Nasira felt it. It caused her skin to break out in goose-pimples and her hair to stand up.

Her mother was staring at the ceiling, when she decided to speak again. "My mother…" she sighed.

'Okay, what is going on?' Nasira's eyes narrowed slightly as she observed the Grant matriarch. 'What is wrong with her to—?' Her thought trailed off, when she noticed the change in her mother's mood. She saw the unshed tears glossing over the older woman's brown eyes. "Mom… Are you alright?" she asked with a soft voice, sounding unsure.

Instead of answering her daughter's inquiry, she spoke about something else. "My mom was an Amity woman, through and through. When she was a girl, she was taught to do a little bit of everything, which was why she was able to work in any field. On one day, she would pick from the crops and on the next day, she would pick from the tobacco fields and then on another day, she was sent to the fish farms. She worked hard in the fields and she never complained about doing it. She always used to tell me and my siblings that there's nothing wrong with working with our hands. Not everybody can create a serum or make a new device. She was a smart woman and she was very considerate of other people's feelings. I don't know why she ended up with my father. My grandma used to say that people can wear masks over their true selves, but I can't see my father ever hiding himself. He was pure mean asshole, twenty-four seven. And plus, he was a fish-head, so he loved to talk about his legacy." Her fingers performed a dance on the desktop. "My mom… She loved all of us and she tried her best to protect us from my father's fists. She would get…" A rush of air escaped from her pursed lips. "...beaten so badly that there were times when she couldn't go to work on the fields. The bruises were too bad to cover them up or her hands were too mangled up..." A droplets of salty tears fell from her eyes. "People tried to help her. I remember this much. But the old woman, she still stuck by him. She said it had everything to do with the vows that she had taken. When he finally died, we all thought that she would be alright. She was sad that he died, of course, but we knew that she would eventually come out of it. We all thought 'She is free… finally'. Then, that…" Her mother slapped the desktop with her napkin. "…damned heart of hers gave out on her, two months after he died."

Nasira watched her mother silently cry. It spurned her own tears to flow. "Mommy…what's wrong?" she said softly.

Mrs. Grant shook her head. "It's… Just not fair," her mother cried.

"Mommy…" she said softly as she wiped at her eyelids. "…what's wrong?"

Her mother bowed her head. Her right hand touched at her face. "It's just not… Got-damned fair," her mother hissed.

Nasira stood up and approached her mother. She kneeled in front of the aging woman. She placed her hands in her mom's lap and she gazed up at the woman. "Mommy, you got to tell me about what's wrong, okay? Because you're starting to scare-the-hell out of me, right now. Is it one of the boys? Did something happened to Trudy or with the baby? What about you? Did something happen to …?" Then a thought crossed her mind. It was a nefarious thought that caused her skin to chill and her heart to pound. It caused her voice to die and a lump to form in her throat. An audible exhale ran out of her mouth. "Mommy…" she sighed. She searched her mother's face for the truth. "Mom…"

Mrs. Grant's eyes dropped down to her daughter's face. She unleashed a trembling sigh. "It's back, honey-baby…" Her eyes drifted off. "…I learned yesterday that the cancer is back and this time…" She nodded her head and her jaw clenched. "It's worse."


	2. Chapter 2: The Finale

***Enters the page doing the 'P. Diddy dance' to "Can't Hold Me Down" while wearing a shiny suit***

 **Wooooooo-hoooooo!**

 **I am finally finish with this story! I am so excited about being able to finish this! I've never been able to finish a story... Ever. I am capable of creating a beginning and a middle for a story, but I am unable to write a finish for it. I like to blame my muses for this. They have the work ethics of lazy, 'frat-bros' who are attending universities because their parents are footing the bills. It's why I've named my muses 'Jared', 'The Main Frame', 'The Hog' and 'Wesley'. Don't get me wrong: they have their uses (for instance, it is The Hog, who helps me write all of my lemons and limes), but they're so damn unreliable. *sighs* I am just so happy that I am able to just finish two short stories!**

 **Now that's out of the way... *waves* Hello again!**

 **I would like to say a shout-out to all of the readers, who have taken the time out of their days to read my stories. I like to give warm hugs and juicy, 'grandma kisses' to every person who has 'favorited/put in the request to follow' my stories. I appreciate every action.**

 **Okay, this is the last chapter for "The Burning Knot". It's a long chapter. Let me tell you this right now. On my Microsoft Word, this chapter started on 'page 31' and it ended on 'page 131', so yeah, it's a doozy. In this chapter, I've added more O/Cs to this story. Some of these characters will make more appearances in future stories. I just want y'all readers to have some... background information on them.**

 **In this chapter, Eric is definitely OOC and non-canon from both the novels and from the film adaptations. This is an A/U, so there's no wars. No Abnegation massacres. There are mentions of divergents in this chapter.**

 **Now... *claps like Rafe* I have a bit of some sad news for you. I won't be able to add any more stories until the end of this year. I am experiencing a bit of procrastination, when it comes to the work pile at my job (b/c I was spending my hours, working on this story... Sssh, don't tell anybody). So, I am going to put my writing on hold for a bit until I am able to catch up with my work. Also, I will be taking a 'stay-cation' at the end of December (b/c my ass is broke and cannot take a legit vacation), so I should be able to work on my stories again.**

 **In regards to my future stories... Expect Eric to act like a major asshole in... one...two...three... In three of my future stories. I have all of their outlines and plots mapped out. I just need to write them out.**

 **WARNING:** **This upcoming story can be rated as 'Mature'. It contains adult languages, adult content and strong Lemon content. I would recommend that children under the age of sixteen shouldn't read this story.**

 **DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any characters from "The Divergent Trilogy". Veronica Roth has that privilege. I just own the O/Cs in these stories.**

 **Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my stories. Please leave your comments.**

 ***cues up "Can't Hold Me Down" and proceeds to 'P. Diddy dance' off of the page while pyrotechnics are erupting in the background. The fireworks spell out 'ENJOY!' in the sky.***

*~oMLo~*

'Cancerous growth…liver…pancreas…Cancer…Doesn't look good, Nassy… Cancer…liver and pancreas… Pancreatic cancer… Slim to none, when it comes to survival… I'm tired, Nassy…and I'm scared…'

Her mother's testimony kept replaying in her head as she sobbed into her hands. She sat in her automobile, in the driver's seat and unleashed the beast that was her anguish.

After the occurrence of the quiet tears that she displayed in her mother's office-suite, she managed to pull herself together to listen to her mother's explanation about the cancer revival. As her mother recited her personal physician's diagnosis, Nasira kept her physical reactions restrained. Once her lunch break was over, the technician returned to the Systems Analyst Unit and to her cubicle, where she stared at her powered off computer's monitor for a solid twelve minutes. She ended up rehashing the entire moment in her mind. Then she shoved all of that information behind a well-built wall and proceeded to work her shift again. She continued to help her fellow faction members with their computer problems. She was able to hold it together, when her co-workers would say 'How are you doing?' as they would pass by. In one particular interaction, Nasira felt a crack grow in her wall as soon as she spotted the warm energy of concern in the female co-worker's eyes. She felt her throat close up and her heart pound against her breast. She didn't, however, lose it. Instead of crying and falling to the floor in a heap, she plastered a smile on her face and uttered the words "I'm fine". She managed to hold herself together as she finished out her day.

It was until she arrived to her neighborhood and after she parked her jeep, when the wall of restraint came crumbling down. She just turned off the ignition and was about to pull the key out, when a swaying object swung into her peripheral view. She turned her full attention to the object. Her dark russet eyes focused on the pair of black infant-sized sneakers and the laminated photo of Lucien that dangled from the rear view mirror. The shoes used to belong to her son until he out-grew them. Now they were considered to be a talisman for good luck.

She stared at those sneakers and the photo. During this poignant moment of silence, she was struck with the demon that was known as the truth.

The Grant matriarch's cancer was out to deplete her body of its vitality and then kill her. Her physician tried to plant false hope in her by doling out statistics and ratios, but the seasoned Dauntless member knew the truth. She saw it playing in her doctor's green eyes. The 'truth,' being that this bout was stronger. It was deadlier. It was terminal. The older woman knew this, and on that night, she thought up a plan for it. Her plan consisted of recognizing the signs of defeat and accepting them. She wasn't going to fight it with the rounds of chemotherapy, over in an Erudite hospital, like her doctor suggested. Mrs. Grant confessed to her sole daughter that she didn't want to go through the process again and suffer from the side effects of the radiation procedures. She didn't want her body to go through the bouts of nausea, the severe stomach cramps and the random eruptions of skin lesions, the sores and the constant case of lethargy. It made her want to die. During those torturous days, she used to fantasize about climbing out of her bed and tossing herself into the Chasm. She was aware of the consequences of her actions of not following through with the doctor's suggestions and she accepted them. Mrs. Grant was willing to die.

As she eyed the shoes and the photo, she realized that her son won't grow up with his grandmother in his life. Nasira accepted the fact that she would never know which term of endearment her son would pick for his grandmother. She wouldn't know if her mother would be a 'Nana', 'grandma' or even 'Big Mama'. Lucien wouldn't create his own enjoyable and memorable experiences with her mother. He wouldn't have the opportunities of having his grandmother take him out of school, so he could play hooky with her. He wouldn't have the experiences of visiting the Erudite museums, staring at the stars from an Amity farm, touring the majestic courthouses in Candor, making his own wishes in the eighteenth floor fountain in Dauntless and being an enraptured spectator as she engage with the Abnegation government. He wouldn't be able to spend weekends and holidays with the Grant matriarch. As years go by, the boy wouldn't remember the older woman's face or remember her voice. He wouldn't remember how her hugs felt around his small body. He wouldn't remember the floral scent of her favorite perfumes. He wouldn't remember just how much of an impact she had on everybody she met.

She sat in the darkness that covered the jeep's interior and sobbed with all of her strength. Her sobs shook her curvy frame as she sat in the driver's seat. She cried until her tear ducts couldn't produce any more tears. Her eyelids became red and slightly swollen. Her lungs slightly burned from the strain while her chest emitted a dull ache. But none of the physical discomforts could compare to the pain that she was feeling inside of her spirit.

An hour and thirty-three minutes after parking her Jeep Wrangler, Nasira decided to go home. Before she left her vehicle, she searched for a pair of sunglasses that she knew was stored inside of the cabin. She found her neglected sunglasses, stored underneath the front passenger seat. It was coated with a thick layer of dust and dirt. She did a brisk cleaning of the eye apparel against her leather-covered thighs before she put them on. Then with her bloodshot eyes covered, she left her vehicle. Once she entered her apartment building, she was immediately welcomed by a festive environment. Then she remembered that her building's manager had informed her about a birthday celebration that would occur in the courtyard, earlier in the day. As she traveled to the elevator bay, she had short interactions with other tenants. She gave out condensed versions of 'hello' and she kept moving. She eventually made it to her apartment's door. She noted the depth contrast of how she felt and the environment that she was inside of.

A second after arriving to the red wooden door, she heard "Ma-Ma" from the other side, in the apartment. Upon hearing Lucien's voice, a smile appeared and for her mood lightened up a little bit. She glanced down at the keypad and tapped in her key-code. She watched the light panel lit up before she gained access to her apartment. She opened the door and entered her home.

"Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma!" shrieked Lucien before his voice dissolved into babbling.

Nasira scanned the other side of her living room and spotted her son with his nanny, Sophie. They were sitting on the floor, in the open space that was in between the sectional and the hallway's entryway. Sophie was kneeling front of a seated Lucien and both were staring at the young mother. Both of them were smiling. Nasira returned her own smile as she closed the front door. She strolled over to the sectional, where she placed her backpack on the sofa. Then she proceeded to approach the seated duo.

"Miss G., wait right there!" instructed Sophie. After Nasira came to a halt, the teenaged girl said, "We want to show you…"

A sense of awareness flooded her soul. Her eyes widened slightly while she silently said, 'No way'.

"…something, okay." The nanny then helped the toddler stand on his two feet. Nasira assumed that her son must've known what this girl was planning to do because he began to rhythmically bob and chirp. "Alright Lukie, let's show your mama what you can do…" With her thumbs held in Lucien's fists, she helped the child walk.

'No…'

Lucien's chunky, bared feet slapped against the wooden floorboards as he made steps. He held onto his nanny's thumbs as he walked his choppy steps. He walked several inches in front of Sophie before she suddenly had the baby released her fingers. The toddler stopped walking.

"Go on, Lukie," Sophie cheered, "go on". Both women watched the boy turned to his nanny for more reassurance. "Go on, Lukie, go to your mama!" The boy clapped his hands and giggled.

Nasira believed that her son needed some more encouragement. She put herself in a squatting position and she held her arms out for him. "Luke. Luke. Lukie-bear," she said sweetly. She waited until her son was staring at her before she spoke again. "Come on, Luke. Come to your mommy. Come on, baby boy. Come to me, baby."

The toddler smiled, displaying his teeth and clapped his hands once. He peered down at his feet and then he stared up at her. Then he made a trio of steps in her direction. His mother squealed from happiness and then she began doling out more statements of encouragement. Lucien made a pair of staccato steps and clapped his hands. Both female faction members clapped their hands and cheered. He smiled and laughed. Then he began to make more steps.

"Come on Lukie, baby," she swooned. She observed her son as he walked towards her. His walking skills weren't confident, but they held excitement. Once the boy walked into her embrace, she wrapped her arms around the small body. "Ohhhhh my big boy!" she squealed. "My big boy is walking!" She released her son. She stared down at him. "Okay, Luke, let's do that again, okay?" Nasira stood upright and then she had traveled over to the sectional to fetch her phone from the backpack. Once she received her phone, she powered up the camera function. She aimed the camera's focal lens at her son. "Okay, Luke, walk over to me. Come on, big boy!"

"Ma-Ma!" the boy shrieked and clapped his hands. Then he made a pair of steps against the floor. "Ma-Ma!" His calling was followed by the act of more steps being performed. She watched her son's confidence grow and soon his natural stride broke through. He began walking towards her while his hands clapped.

Nasira was able to capture her son's walking on her phone's memory database. This was something that she would try to hold onto for the rest of her life. Once Lucien approached, she kneeled on the floor and hugged her son to her body. Her soft and plump lips decorated the left side of his face with kisses. The toddler shrieked and laughed. Then he pushed her prying and pursed lips away with his plump hands. Nasira laughed. She held her camera up. "Okay Luke, look at the camera! Luke… Luke…" Her son glanced at her. With her left index finger, she pointed to the phone. "Look up here." The deep gray eyes peered up at the camera. His right hand reached up for the phone. He babbled. "Luke, I want you to say 'hi' to your grandma and to your dada," she instructed. She peered at her son. She saw her baby wave at the phone. She giggled. "Luke…" She watched the boy look at her again. "…I want you to say 'I love you' to your grandma and to your dada. Can you say—?

"Eeeeeyyyyyeeee…woooooo," he sung. Both Nasira and Sophie laughed, which caused the toddler to laugh as well. "Eeeeeeyyyyyeeee…wooooooo," he repeated, which caused the women to giggle.

"Okay, now say 'bye-bye' to grandma and your dada," she instructed him. She saw her son wave his hand again. She giggled.

"Fee-Fee," Lucien chirped as he pointed over to the nanny.

"You want to go to Sophie?" she asked him.

"Fee-Fee!" he chirped again.

"Okay, go over to your Fee-Fee," she told him as she let him go.

"Fee-Fee!" he happily chirped as he trotted away with choppy steps.

She eyed her son as he safely made his way over to his nanny. He was scooped up in her arms, where he was tickled and swung around in the air in a playful manner. She turned her attention back to the phone's camera. "My son has left me to be with an older woman," she joked. She giggled. Then she powered off the camera function. Afterwards she sent the short video to the cell phones that belonged to Eric and her mother. She knew that both individuals would appreciate the footage. "When did he begin walking?" she asked Sophie as she powered down her phone.

Sophie cuddled up with the boy. "He started up an hour after you left this morning. I had left him in the living room, so I could make him his breakfast. I was in the process of making his oatmeal, when I felt something touch the backs of my knees," she explained. She smiled at the toddler. "To make sure that I wasn't jumping to conclusions, I made him walk around the counter. Of course I had to bribe him with food!" She did a gentle jostling with him. "And he walked all-the-way around the counter…" She tickled his potbelly. He giggled. "…like a big boy".

Nasira stared at the duo and felt a wave of warmness fall onto her. She smiled. In her mind, she accepted the notion that she really needed this moment, this interlude of happiness. With the emotional chaotic day that she had to endure, she really needed this moment.

"Did you guys already have dinner?" she asked Sophie.

"No, not yet. _Mister Man here…_ " She gently pinched Lucien's right cheek. "…had taken a late nap and he didn't want anything to eat, when he woke up. I tried testing him, but he just pushed my hands away and said 'no'. So I didn't push it."

Nasira rose to her feet. "Well, alright, let me get started then. He should be hungry by the time I finish cooking." She shoved her phone into her bag. "Let me just wash my hands and face first," she notified the girl.

"Alright, Miss G.!"

Nasira and her knapsack traveled to her bedroom, where she stripped out of her clothes. She caught a whiff of a familiar woodsy-citrus scent secrete from her skin. She was instantly reminded of her 'two-hour break' with Eric. There were snapshots from the memories, flashing across her mind's eye. Her stomach trembled with a peculiar case of mild anxiousness. 'I have to wash his smell from off of me.' She fetched a change of clothes from the chest of drawers. As she exited her bedroom and entered the hallway, she yelled out "Sophie, I am going to take a quick shower before I start!"

'It's amazing what a twenty-minute shower could do for a person,' she thought, as she placed a stainless steel knife next to a plate. An hour and forty-five minutes after her shower ended, Nasira was in her kitchen, setting up the island countertop with food, as well as, with eating utensils.

"Miss G., do you need any help with anything?" asked Sophie as she sat on the couch with Lucien.

The mother glimpsed at the girl and shook her head. "No, I have everything covered over here. But you can put Luke in his high chair and bring it over here, though."

"Okay," the girl chirped.

Nasira turned away from the countertop and traveled back to the sink. She was in the process of retrieving condiments from the cupboard that was above, when she heard the nanny speak.

"It smells good!" the recent Dauntless initiate claimed.

"Thank you," she said over her right shoulder. "I figured that the chicken, the yams and a salad were good enough choices for tonight's dinner. I really had hopes in making some fish tonight, but I don't have the money to buy a hundred dollars-worth of whiting."

"Trust me, it's enough!" Sophie eagerly agreed.

"And for the _guest of honor_ , he will have his favorite: meatloaf and gravy puree, along with a jar of peas and carrots. And for his dessert, mashed bananas!" she announced with a light laugh attached.

Once the table was officially set, Nasira began piling food on both her plate and Sophie's plates. Meanwhile the young nanny filled Lucien's bowl with his food. Then they began to eat. After a moment of wordless consumption, Sophie spoke. "So, how was your day today, Miss G.?"

'It was shit-tastic,' she secretly answered. Nasira glanced at her son's caretaker. "It was okay, nothing out of the ordinary," she lied.

"That's good." The girl had taken a sip of water from her glass. "How's your mom doing? I haven't seen her as much, with me being busy with Luke and all."

With the mention of her mother, memories from today's lunch date were conjured up in Nasira's mind. She recalled the tearful testimony about her grandmother. She definitely remembered the confession about the cancer reoccurrence and the moments that followed. Then she recalled the heartbreaking epiphany that she had while she was inside of her jeep, a few hours ago.

"My mother's fine," lied Nasira, once again. This time, she held a smile on her face that didn't make her eyes dazzle or her skin to glow.

"That's good…" the girl murmured. She had taken a few more bites from her meal before saying, "I owe her with my life…ever since she did save mine."

'What?' The statement caused Nasira to stop eating and to eye her dinner guest. She watched the girl chew the food that was in her mouth. 'What does that mean?'

Sophie picked up her glass of water. "Did she ever tell you about how we met?"

'Nope.' The mother shook her head. "No, she never told me. In fact, she told me to _ask you_. She said that it wasn't her story to tell."

A subtle smile appeared on Sophie's lips and her chocolate-brown eyes peered down at her plate. "That was… That was nice of your mom to say that to you." A short streak of silence ran through the living room. "I managed to meet your mother by accident, actually. I was still an initiate at the time. When…" Her smile broadened, revealing her chipped, upper incisors. "…I first came here, I lied to people and told them that I was originally from Amity."

"Where are you originally from?" questioned Nasira.

"Candor."

"Okay… You're from Candor, but why lie about it? I can see if you were from Abnegation, why you would lie, due to the shit that's going on with them. But—

"Why would I lie about not being from Candor?" Sophie stated, cutting Nasira off. The young girl watched her boss nod her head. Her fingertips traced the rim of her glass. "I lied because… I told them that I was kicked by a donkey while I was doing my chores. If I was from Amity, then it would've sounded more believable."

An expression that was crossed between confusion and amusement marked Nasira's face. "What?" she murmured. She chuckled. "Why would you say that?"

A subtle and mirthless chuckle escaped from Sophie's throat. She glimpsed down at the half-eaten contents that were on her plate. "It was the only excuse that I could think of for the bruises that covered the left side of my face."

Nasira's laugh dropped dead on the spot. Her jovial energy was sapped out of her body. With caution lace in her eyes, she observed the girl's face. "What…? What do you mean, Sophie?"

"Let's just say that I didn't have a happy home life, growing up," she explained, with the same smile on her face. "My parents weren't… Like your typical parents. On the day of the aptitude test, my father was pissed off about something, _which was usual_ , and he took it out on me. This time, he was angry enough and he didn't bother to make sure that he didn't leave any evidence behind. So, on Choosing Day, I knew that I didn't want anybody to know…"

Nasira noticed the glossy coating that covered Sophie's eyes as she spoke.

"…Plus, for some reason, I didn't want to embarrass my parents, so I lied. I even as gone as far enough to sit in the Amity section of the auditorium, during the ceremony. They didn't mind. Thank God, for that one…" She shrugged her shoulders. "…It was easy to do it. I grew up wearing clothes that were from the 'Lost and Found' boxes that were in my school, because my parents didn't bother to buy me suitable clothes. There were times when I wore blues, greens, reds and golds, purple… You know… Mostly _all_ of the colors in the color spectrum." She laughed.

The woman reached across the countertop and held onto Sophie's left hand. The young girl readily accepted the gesture. "So, why didn't you stay in Candor? I'm pretty positive that the initiates had to stay in specific areas, in particular, away from their families."

"I chose Dauntless because…" Her voice trailed off while her brow folded. She appeared to contemplating. Then her feature smoothed out. "I can't believe that I'm about to say this…" Her right hand caressed her forehead as a sign of exasperation towards her anxiety. "Dauntless… Actually… _Called out…To me_ …" She chuckled again. "…Jeez, I'm starting to sound all pretentious and like one of those Erudite-art snobs with that description."

A rumble shook the contents inside of Nasira's stomach while her spirit warmed. She felt as if she had just met her kindred spirit. She understood how the young girl felt because she had felt the same way about Amity. She giggled and gave the hand a tighter squeeze. "Don't feel bad, Sophie—

"No, I don't feel bad, Miss G." the girl clarified. "I just _hate_ the way that I just described my emotions." She placed her right elbow in the space next to her plate, on the countertop and then she placed her chin on the palm of her hand. "When I was five years old, one of my old neighbors called the cops on my dad. He was yelling and knocking things over in our apartment, so a neighbor had enough with the noises… I guess. Two Dauntless patrolmen had shown up. One was a woman…" A genuine happy smile appeared on her face. "…She was nice to me. Ever since then, I wanted to become a Dauntless faction member."

Nasira smiled. "So, what were your plans, when you were a kid? Did you want to work the fence? Or perhaps, _practically live_ in the Control Room?"

"Actually…" Her land of sight drifted off of Nasira's face and landed on an object behind her. "…I was hoping to become a patrolman—Well, a patrol _woman_ , actually. I also wanted to work my way up, in the rankings, so I could open up a division that only investigated child abuse cases. I wanted to help children that were like me. But, I wanted to help _every_ child. Not just the…" Then she conspiratorially whispered, "…ones that are in the five factions either".

The woman understood, so she shook her head. "Ohhhh, okay," she murmured. The two faction members resumed eating their food. "Oh! You forgot to tell me about how you've met my mother," Nasira pointed out, after a moment.

"Oh, you're right. You're right about that," the sixteen year-old declared. She took a sip from her glass. "I met your mom during my second or third week here, in Dauntless, I think. I was wandering the hallways of the training facility, one late night. Somehow, I ended up in The Mind—

"The catacombs."

"The ' _what_ '?" Sophie murmured.

"You probably wandered into the catacombs. It looks like a cellar with a lot of—

"You're right," added Sophie as she nodded her head. "I remember walking through these hallways."

Here…" Nasira waved the pointed tip of her knife in the air. "…in Dauntless, we have catacombs. They're underground tunnels that were built hundreds and hundreds of years ago. They were originally built to protect us from passing tornados and potential bomb attacks. Now they're barely used, except to transport officials and leaders. The tunnels connect to every building. And when I say ' _every building',_ I mean every one of them: The Brig, The Mind, the Training Facility, The Oculus and to the tunnels that carries the trains. They're the well-kept secret around here, which is why they are not guarded."

"So, if they're Dauntless' ' _well-kept secret',_ then how come you know about them?"

"Because my father used to secretly take us through them, when I was a kid," she told her son's caretaker. "When I was a teenager, I used to find myself running through those halls, when I wanted to be alone."

"So, have you ever been inside of The Oculus too?" the girl asked with a heavy dose of amusement.

" _Hell no_ … And I never want to have a good reason to go inside there either!"

Sophie giggled. "I heard that there's an actual electric chair inside of there and when someone is executed inside of there, their blood is sent down a drain and that drain leads to some kind of pipe, where it allows the blood to be poured down the walls!"

Nasira's face held a mask of mortification. "That rumor is still going around?!" The girl laughed. "It's been going around since I was a kid in school…" She shook her head as she chewed on her food. "…I doubt it. More than likely, The Oculus is a basement, where they just shoot people in the head and dump the bodies in a furnace."

Sophie pursed her lips. "I like the 'blood spilling from the walls' myth better." She took a bite of a sliced yam. "Now, back to my story, I ended up in The Mind. The place was better-looking and warmer than the Training Facility, so I continued to walk around. I ended up going to the eighteenth floor and finding the fountain. It was there, where I met your mother…"

A mental snapshot of a pair of blue eyes and the collar that belonged to a black suit flashed inside of her head. Nasira was reminded of Eric's recollection of meeting her mother, from the night of the Diplomatic Banquet.

"…Your mother just took one look at me and she gave me this funny-looking smile, before she told me to follow her. She ended taking me to her office where we talked. I ended up confessing to her about my mom and dad. She listened and she didn't make me feel like I was this special charity case. She ended up telling me that she would give me a job, after I finish the initiation trials."

Nasira smiled. Then she glanced at her son to make sure he was eating his food. "Why were you there anyway?" she asked Sophie while fixing her son's bib. "In the catacombs, I mean."

The teen sighed. "A group of female initiates were… Making things harder for me, during my process. I was walking around in the middle of the night because one of their favorite pastimes was waiting until I was asleep and then attack me. On that particular night before lights out, one of them had threatened me with a pocketknife that she kept…" Sophie did a casual gesture towards her face, with her right hand. "…As you can see, she eventually made good with her threat."

The young mother subtly flinched in her seat while her spirit gradually filled up with rage. Her eyes focused on the long scar that marred this girl's pretty face. One tip of the thick keloid began passed her hairline, on the right side of her face and a few centimeters away from her right temple. The marking ran across the center of her forehead, curved around her left orbital socket and it marred her left cheek. The other pointed tip of the jagged scar kissed the left corner of her lips. Sophie's scar was the first thing that she noticed from the young girl, when she was introduced to her. The young mother assumed that there was a painful story behind that scar and she wasn't going to attempt to learn about it. She figured if Sophie wanted her to know about it, then the caretaker would tell her. Now, with the story of its origin was curated, red-hot rage was all she felt.

With her eyes slightly narrowed and her nostrils flaring, she said calmly "Please tell me that those beasts, who have done this to you, are now picking out of dumpsters in the factionless territories."

The teenager shrugged her shoulders. "I know that only one was immediately cut and kicked out of Dauntless, because she was the only person that I told the trainers about. She was my main threat and she was the ringleader. This much was what I knew. I knew that the other ones were her followers." She placed a bit of chicken in her mouth. "The other ones did eventually become factionless, but that's only due to the fact that the competition became too tough for them." She chewed her food. "To this day, I am surprised that _I've_ made it this far."

Nasira inquired about her final place setting amongst her initiates.

"I was listed in fifth place," informed Sophie. "When I think about it in retrospect, the initiation process was a breeze, when I compare it to my life…" She smiled at her boss. "…Did you know that I've only have five fears?" She giggled, when she saw the wide-eyed glance from her. "Yeah! When Tris told me that I had just five, I would've squealed like an idiot… Except that I couldn't because of the whole 'Oh my God, my chest is pounding and I am afraid for my life' thing that was going on." She had taken another drink. "So, what did you place and how many fears do you have?"

Nasira sighed. She sat up straighter. "Well, I was in last place, in the twentieth spot. This was before the 'new rules' had come into effect. Unlike y'all, there were only twenty spots that needed to be filled. When it came to the fear landscapes, I only had eight fears. I'm sure that it has grown, over time." She allowed the fork's tines to dance along the ceramic plate's surface. "I could've applied myself a little bit more. But I had the mindset of 'just passing' when it came to the initiation. I just wanted to get it over with."

"How did your mom handle your final place setting? I mean… _You are_ a part of a legacy that was built in here. "

"My mom was okay with it. She was just happy about me staying in Dauntless. My brothers were also fine with it."

"Was your training hard? Did your trainers intimidate you too?" Sophie asked.

"No," she answered. "They were _worse_. Even though I was an initiate close to eight years ago, it felt like it was _decades ago_ , to be quite honest with you. The regime was under a different set of leaders. The rules were different and the… _Mindset_ , here in Dauntless was different. Back then, there was the belief that things like empathy, mercy, compassion, and patience were the opposite of being brave. I guess this was the feeling around the time of the Great War because no one had the time to cry or show mercy towards their fellow man, because they all were trying to survive. But… This belief was carried on for a long time after the war ended. And I am talking about they believed this _for centuries…"_ There was another sample of her drink. "My trainers were sadists. They would torture us and say that they were helping us, toughening us up. Like, for instance… If someone would show up to a training session with their clothes looking unkempt, then that initiate would be subjected to The Box—

"The Box?"

She nodded her head. "The Box was a metal box that used to be on the roof of the Training Facility. It was about four feet high and seven feet long and it had these thin slits for air vents. It was used for punishment. Trainers would force initiates into the box and would keep them there. Sometimes for a few hours and sometimes for a few days. Plus it didn't matter the temperature or the season," Nasira explained.

Sophie's face paled while her eyes bulged and her jaw dropped. "Oh-Em-Gee," she muttered. "Are you serious, Miss G.?"

The woman nodded before taking a sip of water. "Then, there were the times when they would punish us for whatever offense that another initiate would commit. I remember they had us stand on the rooftop, in the middle of winter and in our underwear for a few hours. And it was because an initiate had shown up to 'roll call' late. Thank goodness, we were allowed to wear our boots and wool socks." She speared a cherry tomato with her fork. "Then there was the beatings… The trainers act like a bunch of savages. The suicide rate amongst initiates were high during those days."

"Sooo… How did it ended? I mean, in regards to the training techniques, how did we gone from _there_ to… _here_?" she asked.

"If it is up to me and I had to guess, I would say that it involved a number of things. First thing involved a death of an initiate. The kid's body was found in a dumpster, in a Candor alleyway. An autopsy was performed. The kid died from blunt force trauma to the skull. He was covered in bruises and had a fractured pelvis. According to one newspaper report, his stomach was severely empty. This happened the following initiation season after mine. Turned out, this kid's parents were a part of the Candor's elite families. His parents decided to investigate Dauntless and our old practices. Of Course…" She eyed her son again before returning her attention to Sophie. "Then there was this huge story that came from The Chicago Ledger, that 'legal and law' newspaper that is run by Candor. A reporter managed to speak to a few former initiates about the abuse and the torture and he had written a report for the newspaper. As a result, Dauntless was put under major scrutiny. Then other four factions' leaders got involved. As a result, the other thing happened, which was the regime was changed. Or I should say that the old regime was made into something that was better. Max became the regime allegiant supreme and he had done an overall clean-up."

"So would you say that things have gotten better?"

"Shhh-it…" She took a long drink from her glass before saying, "It has become a helluvah lot better!"

*~oMLo~*

'Waaa-it… What?' her brain groggily murmured.

A small bit of her awareness reluctantly stumbled back, when pressure landed on her frame. Her scarf-covered, head lifted off of the pillow. She wasn't able to lift her shoulders and neck because of the heavy blanket that was on top of her. She felt it rub against the slivers of bared skin. She found that the blanket felt like hot skin. A warmth fanned her face while her nostrils picked up the fragrance of mint, gunmetal and soap.

'Human,' her brain muttered. 'Him…' An obscured image of her son's father flashed through her mind.

"Er-Eric… Is that… you?" she slurred. Her right hand lifted off of the mattress and it floated in the air for a few seconds, before landing on a strip of hot naked flesh. She unleashed a lazy sigh as her head landed back on her pillow. "What are…? You doing here?" She made a rough inhale and exhale. Her lips smacked against each other. "Eric," she murmured.

She felt callused fingertips lightly scrape against her thighs, as well as, the cotton panties that she wore. "Why do you insist on wearing these damn things?" she heard him whisper, a second later.

"Hmm?" she groaned. She rolled her head against the pillow. She turned her face to the left. "Cause… I was planning on…" She sighed. "Going to bed tonight," she told him with her full amount of awareness. "Why…? Why are you in here?" her mouth breathed.

"Because I want you, that's why."

 _'…_ _He's going to try to have his cake and eat it too. Take my word. Eric is a typical 'Dauntless Man': straight-up alpha male…'_

Hearing her mother's statement caused a strong dose of adrenaline to shoot through her. She lifted her head up to find Eric's current whereabouts. Then she discovered the Dauntless leader's location, due to his lips pressing against the inside of her right thigh. His hands already managed to peel her panties down to her ankles and feet, as well as, push the bottom off her shirt up. She peered down at what she assumed was his head. "What-in the-hell does that mean?" she tersely whispered. He didn't respond. "Eric." His lips responded by planting a line of kisses on her pelvis. "Eric!" she shrieked between her clenched teeth.

"Quiet, or you'll wake The Kid," he informed her. She heard the irritability in his voice.

'Oh no, you have no right with being bothered, you asshole.'

"And…" The mattress gently trembled as he slid against her body. "…I am here to…" His lips grazed her stomach. "…fuck." He kissed her belly. His fingers drew up her tee-shirt further. Once her supple mounds were exposed to the room's air, she was then subjected to his hands and mouth.

"Eric, don't you…" She was mindful of the throbs of pleasure that floated through her body. "…remember our conversation from today?"

Eric didn't respond to her inquiry.

Nasira grew angry. She grunted and then uttered "Got-damn it". Her right hand grabbed the tufts of hair that were on the back of his head. She yanked hard. She heard a sharp, masculine hiss escape his lips. Suddenly she found her hands and wrists in a restraint move. They were pinned against the wooden plank from her headboard, which was above her head. The back of her head was forcibly pressed against the pillow, in large part of his thick forearm that was pressed against her throat. She felt his face hover over hers.

"Nasira, what-the-fuck is wrong with you?" he growled.

"I want you to get-the-fuck out!" she ordered with a bold whisper.

"You want me to get out?" he taunted.

"Yes, I want you to get out of my home!" she growled back. "I told you that I wanted to end this thing! You agreed—

"I've never agreed to anything," he stated, matter-of-factly.

'WHAT?!' She wanted to scream at him, so badly. "Did you, or did you not, tell me that I could end this…uh-uh, relationship?!" she hissed.

"I _asked_ you if you wanted to end this. I didn't say that you _could_ ," he responded.

"You… You son-of a-bitch," she groaned. "Now, you're just making up shit as this goes along, huh?" she accused him.

Eric pressed his forearm deeper into her throat. "I'm not a liar," he grunted with his distaste evident.

"I don't care if you are one, Eric. All I care about is that this… _Sex-thing_ is over! I don't want to do this anymore! I don't want to be your glorified sex-toy anymore! I'm not going to sit here and be only good for just sex! I won't! If you _love Anissa so much_ , _then go to her and show it_. Just leave me out of it. I would rather be a lonely woman with eight cats than to be someone who only gets attention, when you need your dick to be satisfied. I want a man who is going to allow me to have his heart, mind, body and spirit. Not just his dick," she explained, clenching her teeth. After she expressed her emotions, she noticed that her heart was pounding and she felt a little light-headed.

A short stream of silence formed between them. The bedroom was stripped of light, with the exception of the moonlight that sprayed inside of the bedroom. She attempted to stare at his face.

She received his response, in the form of a masculine snicker. Hearing his laughter caused her tears to flow. His laughter subliminally told Nasira about his level of respect for her and it told her that its level was very low. She was overcome with the urge to leave the bedroom and find a space that was private. She attempted to free her hands. But his grip tightened. She tried to finagle her wrists from his grasp. "Eric, please, let go of my hands," she murmured, after her failed attempts.

He snickered. "No."

"Er—

"No…" Eric announced. His lips pressed a kiss on her cheek. "…I won't let you go." He removed his forearm from off of her throat. His arm straightened out and then his hand sought after her tits. His fingers and palm kneaded the sensitive flesh. "You're mine," he groaned, seconds later. His fingers provided her left nipple with a pluck before letting go. His large hand slipped in between their naked bodies and trekked down to his groin. His fingers latched onto the base of his cock.

"Eric," she whined. "I—

"You're mine," he repeated, before ramming his hardness into her womb.

Her body flinched and then became rigid. She felt her walls emit streams of discomfort while they were being stretched. Her oxygen was lodged in her throat. Her eyes widened as a pair of tears stained her cheeks.

"You're mine," he grunted. His member began to stroke in and out of her slightly dampened cavern. His lips crashed against hers. His thick tongue plundered her mouth and lured her tongue to mingle. Once their lips parted, his tongue lavished her full bottom lip with affection. His mouth bathed her love-bruised lips, fanning them with humid heat. "And I am yours," he groaned.

Her heart trembled in its nest. 'Wait. What?' her conscience whimpered. "What did you say?" she lightly mewled. She only heard a grunt, in response.

As his prick continued to plow into her, she felt her walls weep more nectar. The discomfort that she felt, evaporated and it was replaced with tingles of pleasure. Her little bud hardened, after every teasing graze that his groin's pubic hair would make. Her curvy and strong legs scaled up his thick legs and wrapped around his lower back. A force of blunt pleasure erupted in her pelvis. His cock felt longer and thicker. Nasira attempted to clutch onto his broad shoulders, but she was stopped short by his strong grip.

"I ain't letting you go," he groaned into her left ear. "…ain't letting you go."

The young woman believed that the leader's statement could've been taken in more than one way. If she admitted it to herself, she hoped that he meant it in more ways than its main purpose.

Both parents' climaxes had swiftly approached. Nasira assumed it had something to do with their two-hour romp in his office. Both lovers were quickly filled with fatigue and eagerly slipped into their respective spots. His head laid on her chest and his body relaxed on hers while her limbs casually wrapped around his bulky frame. Her nimble fingers sifted through his curly strands. The soothing sensation lulled her back to slumber.

Nasira was awakened a few hours later, when she felt the mattress dramatically shift. With a sloppy snort raising from her nose, she opened her sleep-coated eyes. She was greeted by the sight of her bedroom's ceiling. She noticed the dimmed, natural lavender light. She turned her head to the side, in the direction of where she felt the mattress dip. Her eyes took in the sight of the naked, broad back that was facing her. The dips and crevices were pronounced as his head, neck and shoulders were hunched forward. With her sleep-clogged mind, she was able to determine that he was tying the laces of his boots. The outside sky's predawn light allowed her to see the reminders of Anissa's affections on his skin.

She was reminded of their unnerving conversation that took place in his office's bathroom. She remembered his callous statement. She recalled the way she felt: the shaky hands, the thunderous pounding from her heart and the slow strangulation of her esophagus. She sneakily laid her head back on the pillow. She managed to close her eyes before her tears could fall. She rolled onto her left side, in the same style she would've done, if she was asleep. A second later, she felt his heated gaze on her. It lingered for a few more seconds before the prying sensation disappeared. The sound of a rubber sole hitting the wooden floorboards was formed soon after. With her awareness bathed in secured darkness, she continued to listen to Eric's actions as he prepared to leave.

"I received your message… The video…"

'Damn it,' she silently huffed. She reluctantly opened her eyes. The spoiled tears that were captured by her eyelids were now freed. The bedroom was dimly-lit, so her tears' movement were not tracked. She gazed at Eric as he stood by the foot of her bed. The leader was fixing the fastenings off of his black denim jacket. He was staring directly at her.

"…of Luke walking." His voice was neutral-sounding; he didn't sound cold, but he wasn't filled with emotional warmth either.

She gave a thin smile. Her fingers wiped at her left cheek. "He started walking yesterday. Sophie said that he snuck up on her as she was cooking in the kitchen. She said that she had to bribe him with food, so he could walk." Her mouth allowed a thinned –out giggle to penetrate the air.

After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "He'll be running soon enough. And then, he'll be jumping off of trains and climbing the fronts of buildings with his friends," Eric pointed out.

"I'll better be dead by then, because if I ever hear any news about…"

"…Our kid is Dauntless, through and through."

"…he climbing up a building, he won't be able to remove my foot from out of his ass," she promised. "Wait, what do you mean he's 'Dauntless, through and through'? For all you know, he might transfer into another faction," she told him.

"No he won't," Eric reported. He had spoken with a sense of finality in his tone that caused her to become chilled.

She pressed on. "He might want to live in Erudite or in Candor. Or—

"No. He won't," he predicted. "He'll be here. My role as leader will change a little, when he becomes an initiate. But he'll…"

'He's afraid…' She grinned. '…He's afraid that our boy is going to leave us,' she concluded. 'I can hear it in his voice.'

"…be in Dauntless with us, then he'll turn into a leader—

"A leader? Don't you think that you are a bit presumptuous with this?" she teased. "He might want to work in the Control Room or in the Defense Department."

"Doesn't matter. All I know is that he won't be working as a systems tech," he muttered.

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. 'Ouch,' her brain sarcastically groaned. She rose to her elbows. "Well… Jeez, you really know how to make a woman feel good, Eric."

Eric unleashed a sarcastic chuckle. "Of course, I do. _You know all about it_ …" He grabbed his thicker coat from off of the floor. "…You've been learning about it for the past few weeks," he quipped.

Her eyes narrowed while her jaw tightened. 'You…'

"…I have to go," he announced.

She was immediately filled with a sense of disappointment. Her conscience uttered a 'Stop it.'

"I won't be able to come over tonight—

"Like last night?" she told him. before she unveiled a smirk.

"Yeah-yeah-yeah, whatever…" he grumbled. He slipped an arm into his coat's sleeve. "…I will see you tomorrow night…" He slipped his other arm in the jacket. "…Go back to sleep."

'Too late. I can't go back to sleep now.'

"Good—

"Don't say that," she lightly scolded.

"What?" he murmured while eying her with a quizzical expression.

"Don't say 'goodbye'. It sounds too final," she explained.

"All…right," he muttered. Without saying another word, he strolled out of the bedroom. A minute later, she heard the muffled sound of the front door closing.

Nasira stared at the threshold that led to the hallway for a minute, before she dropped the back of her head on the pillow. She peered at the electric clock that was on her nightstand. The neon red numbers spelled out 'six-ten'. She sighed. 'I have close to two hours. I might as well.' Her hands tossed her blanket over her head.

*~oMLo~*

"—time! I have important business to attend to…"

Nasira slowly sighed as her eyes narrowed. "I understand, ma'am." She gripped her face with her free hand and she squeezed at her skin. She was battling against the instinct of snapping at the female caller. She was feeling as if today was going to be rough, like the day before.

"…I have an important meeting…" the caller shrieked.

The technician removed her hand from off of her face and she snatched up the stress ball. Her fingers squeezed the rubber. She eyed the wall of photographs that was on the left side of the cubicle. Her line of sight danced across the pictures of her family members and came to a halt, when it landed on the photo that was pinned in the center. A warm feeling washed over her spirit as she stared at the picture of a two-month old Lucien, wrapped in a bath towel.

'You're the reason why I am trying hard not to snap at this bit—

"HELLO?!" the caller screamed into the phone. "What are you going to do for me?!"

Nasira took in a deep breath. "Well…" she started out. She leaned back in her chair. "…First, I am going to hang up this phone, if you continue to speak to me with a raised voice. Do you understand me?" She spoke to the woman with a firm and stern voice in the same manner that a parent would commit to a hysterical child in the throes of a tantrum. She continued on. "Now, your problem appears to be your printer. Is that correct?

"HAVE YOU BEEN LISTEN—?!"

"Ms. Waters…" she said in a deeper and sterner voice. "Don't. Try. Me." She allowed a few milliseconds of second to pass. "I am trying to help you right now. But, right now your bad behavior is making it _rrrreeeeeeeeaaallllllyyyyy_ hard for me to have any compassion for you. So, before we could start up again, I want you to think about your next choices," she warned. Nasira did not know Ms. Waters and she didn't know what this woman looks like. But if push comes to shove, she was sure that she would search for this woman, so she could beat her ass.

"My…" she whimpered. "…uh…I…My-My printer…I…"

The mother-slash-technician continued to listen to the client stumble over her words. Her line of sight scanned the contents that were on the desk. Her eyes landed on her desk's clock. The neon green numbers spelled out 'twelve-fifty'. She grimaced, when she realized that she has been speaking with this woman for over an hour and she might spend her lunch break still speaking to her.

"…it's not working. I-I-I-I have to print my documents…"

Nasira snapped her fingers to a soundless melody. 'When this bitch was hollering, she had plenty to say.'

"I… My—I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR, LADY!" the flustered, Ms. Waters commanded.

'You know what, lady, I don't give a shit.' Instead expressing her true grievance, Nasira said, "Okey-dokie!" She transferred the call and slammed the receiver down. She fetched a small black bag from a bottom drawer. She stood up and pushed her chair in, as she peered over the right partition. "Cortez?"

The flaxen-haired woman stopped working. She glanced over her left shoulder, at Nasira. A smile was gradually drawn on her face. "Yeah, boss lady?"

"When Rafe comes by, tell him that I had gone to the bathroom," she instructed the woman. She was sure that her supervisor was going to make a visit, once he was done listening to the yelling Ms. Waters.

"You got it, boss" she chirped.

Nasira stepped out of the cubicle and traveled to the women's restroom. She returned twelve minutes later and found her supervisor in her cubicle. He was sitting in her chair. Her stress ball was cradled in his right hand. His tattooed profile was on display as he eyed the left wall of her cubicle. He was gazing at the photos.

"Howdy," she cheerfully greeted Rafe.

"Did you, or did you not, threaten a client over the phone?" His tone clearly gave away the fact that his mind was elsewhere.

"No, I didn't threaten her. I simply told her that I would end the call, if she didn't stop screaming. I refuse to help her and I only stated so. Then she proceeded to act up again and asked to speak to you," she clarified.

"Mmmm," he hummed.

'Okay, he is acting strangely,' she concluded. She observed his behavior. His eyes were still focused on the wall art.

"Is that all?" he said in a neutral tone.

"Mmm-hmm," her throat hummed as she slowly nodded her head.

"Then…" Rafe turned to her. "…Okay." He gave her wall of pictures one final glance before standing up. "Well, you can go to lunch now," he alerted her as he strolled pass her.

Nasira eyed the lanky supervisor as he walked further away from her. "Okay… That was weird," she muttered to herself. 'Well, count your lucky stars, darling. Be thankful! Today is Friday and you have three-day weekend coming up! Don't sweat it.'

*~oMLo~*

Nasira stood in the employee's cafeteria, in front of the refrigerator. She was observing the contents of the square-shaped, plastic bowl. There was a small portion of stewed, grainy and leafy concoction that was inside. It was her lunch for the day: a healthy, vegan salad that she created on the night before. She lifted the recipe from out of a cookbook that promoted a healthy nutritional intake. 'Uuuuggghhhh,' her brain grumbled with distaste. Her belly soon followed with its own sign of distaste for the homemade lunch. 'I want to lose this gut before the summer comes,' she said to herself, trying to amp herself into consuming the slop. Then she tried to convince herself even further by imagining herself with a 'six-pack' and in a midriff top. Her stomach unleashed a furious growl. She looked away from the bowl. "Oh, fuck this shit! It's Friday! I'm going to go and get a burger!" she mumbled to herself.

And she knew where to go for a great cheeseburger. Before she left the small cafeteria, she dropped the clear plastic, lunch box into the trash bin. The young woman traveled from The Mind to the large plaza that served as a landmark for the center of the faction's territory. She walked across the large, business-sector to the ominous-looking building that was the Training Facility. It was the forty-four storied, structure that was mostly known for housing the initiates and where they trained, as well as, home to the Pit's pedestrian entrance and the Chasm. She traveled to the massive food court that was in the building, which was the home for the best burgers in the city. Nasira was surprised to find the cafeteria was hardly busy, despite it being a payday. She quickly joined the line and waited for her turn to order.

Once she approached the cashier's counter, she ordered her favorite meal: a 'Dauntless Double-Trouble' cheeseburger, a small-sized order of steak fries and an extra-large sized cup of 'Banana Brew' smoothie. Her stomach rumbled in agreement. As she waited for her order, her mouth began a watery monsoon just as the scents of frying onions and melting cheddar floated up her nostrils. Her stomach rumbled with excitement. She obtained the tray that contained her food and she searched the spacious room for an available spot. She spotted an unoccupied round table which was several yards away from her current location. She trekked across the room to the desired spot and laid her claim.

"Mmmmmmmmm…." She deeply moaned after she had taken the first bite of her cheeseburger. The delicious tastes of seasoned beef, the onions and the cheddar burst into her mouth. A deep shudder ran down her body. "This is ssoooo good," she moaned. She continued to eat her lunch.

As she savored her meal, she surveyed the cafeteria. The last time she had inhabited the large eatery was close to eight years ago, when she was still an initiate. The décor had vastly changed. Her eyes stared at the granite walls that were adorned with four-foot tall wall sconces. The stainless steel light fixtures emitted lights. Inside of the granite walls, there were cracks of red-colored LED lights. Her eyes took in the stainless steel furniture. She also sighted the new balcony that was added to the cafeteria as well. From her seated position, she also saw the alcove that was attached and the long banquet table with chairs. 'This place looks more like Dauntless than the way it was before,' she established.

Nasira recalled the faction's old cafeteria as she eyed the cafeteria's new motif. Back then, the cafeteria's décor was dismal and unsanitary. The walls were halfway covered with green ceramic tiles and pale green paint, which was chipped. The old floor was covered in cracked and peeling linoleum tiles, which revealed a dirty concrete floor underneath. In those dismal days, the cafeteria's garbage bins were filled with trash that always spilled to the floor. The ceiling's white paint were grotesquely peeling and dropping off. In the old cafeteria, the thermostat was non-existent. When it was winter, the old room's temperature would drop to a freezing cold. When it was summer, the temperature grew uncomfortably hot and unbearably humid. As she savored her burger, Nasira recalled how she and the other initiates were forced to eat their meager rations. Trainers and guards would pace through each aisles, making sure that the children would eat.

"Excuse me?"

The inquiry pulled Nasira from her thoughts of yester-year. Her sight landed on a young woman who stood in front of the table. In her hands, she held a cafeteria tray. The technician did a quick perusal of the woman's appearance. She possessed a style that was tamed, if she would've been compared to the average Dauntless woman. She wore a simple all-black outfit: a sweater dress and a pair of tights. Her pitch black-colored hair was styled in an asymmetrical bob with blunt-cut bangs. Her skin was a healthy pale complexion; the type of complexion that developed during these cold winter months. Her left ear was adorned with a family of piercings. Her brown eyes were focused on Nasira. "Do you mind if me and my friends sit here?" she asked.

Nasira sensed that this woman was alright. She nodded her head. "Yes, you can sit down," she announced.

The woman smiled. "Thanks!" She immediately placed her belongings down and sat down. She extended her left hand. "My name is Edmond," she introduced herself.

"Ed—

"Edmond," the woman said with a nod. "Yup, that's my name!" she stated cheerfully. "I was named after my daddy, who clearly wanted a boy. But he ended up with another girl." She giggled.

Nasira chuckled. "Well… Hello, Edmond. My name is—

"I know who you are," interjected Edmond. She placed a fry into her mouth. She had gone on to clarify. "Your brothers used to terrorize my sisters as they all grew up. My family is the Orlands…"

She immediately remembered the Orlands. All of her brothers, with the exception of Rogue, were close friends with the daughters. It was a large family of fourteen: the parents Neil and Katana Orland, with their twelve daughters. They lived in the house that was directly across the street from her house, back in the Dauntless village. The Orlands held the reputation for being the 'largest family' in the faction. The Grants were the second largest family.

"…We used to live right across—

"Yes, yes, I remember," Nasira pointed out. "Your sisters and my brothers were as thick as thieves, if I remember correctly. I also remember that your sister Athena used to babysit me, from time to time."

Edmond nodded her head as she drank her beverage. Once she pulled the soda can's rim away from her mouth, she said "How's your family doing? I've heard a few things, like Dante is a dad now and Atlas and Pollux are lead researchers in Erudite now."

Nasira nodded her head. "Yeah, the twins are in Erudite as researchers. I know for Pollux, he is a researcher in their genetics department. For Atlas, he is a researcher for their anthropology department. Dante _is_ a father! He has a beautiful baby girl named Nova. She is a year old, now. In regards to my other brothers Trig, Sam and Rogue, they are around. They all work in the Defense Department—

"Which I heard was, like, harder to get into than The Mind," she added.

Nasira nodded her head. "Yup." She had taken a sip of her smoothie. "My mother…"

At the faint mention of her mother, she recalled the lunch date from the previous day. In particular, she recalled the moment when her mother revealed the news of her cancer diagnosis.

As she spoke, her breath unwillingly hitched in her throat. "…she-she's fine. She is still… Being _herself_." Her fingertips played a melody against the Styrofoam cup that was halfway filled with her fruit smoothie. Her eyes caught the sight of a trio of women approaching the table. Nasira believed they all fitted the bill, when it came to being Dauntless members, with their colorful hair and piercings.

"What's up?"

"Hello."

"Hey, how you doing?"

All three women announced their greetings simultaneously as they settled their trays on the table. Nasira didn't know who they were speaking to, ever since none of the women were staring at her or Edmond as they sat.

"Who's she?" one of the trio asked. It was the woman who sat in between Edmond and another member of the trio. This woman appeared to be a woman, who was purposely bred to serve Dauntless. She was tall and she possessed a muscular yet svelte physique. She held more weight than the average faction woman. In her black tank top, her chiseled arms were on display. She held a buzz cut, but there was growth in the form of black stubble. Nasira believed her eyes were the most alluring feature about her. Her irises were a lovely shade of jade. There were flecks of golden brown in them. Right now, those green orbs were focused on Nasira.

"Valeria, don't be rude!" her friend, the one who sat next to her. The woman's eyes landed on the technician. She smiled. "Please don't mind her. She's naturally… Brusque," the woman explained.

Edmond stared at her friends. "Guys, this is Nasira. Nasira, this is…" The woman pointed to the brusque-sounding woman. "…Valeria…" Then she pointed to the woman who sat next to Valeria. "…Next to Valeria, there's Hexa."

Nasira glanced at Hexa. The small-statured woman looked like a dwarf as she sat next to the tall woman. But, she appeared to have the brightest and biggest personality out of them. She held a glow about her and a large smile. Her curly hair was dyed red and styled in a pixie cut. Her caramel-colored skin held a pink tint in her cheeks. Her doe-shaped hazel eyes dazzled with energy. The smiling woman extended her hand, a gesture for a handshake. Nasira grasped her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Nasira."

"It's nice to meet you too…" said a smiling Nasira. As she continued to shake Hexa's smaller hand, she eyed each woman. "…and all of you, as well." The two women's hands departed. The technician resumed eating her lunch.

Edmond pointed to the last woman from her social circle that wasn't introduced to Nasira. She was of average height, a feature that Nasira saw as she sat across from her. Her hair, eye color and her cinnamon-colored freckles were the most striking features, according to the mom. On top of her head, there was a neat bun of purple-dyed hair locks. She kept a few of them hanging by her temples, to frame her oblong-shaped face. Her face, neck, arms and shoulders were decorated with thousands of freckles. Nasira didn't have to see the woman naked to know that her concealed body parts were covered with them. On her oblong-shaped face, there were a pair of eyes that reminded Nasira of a cat's. They shared a similar shape and held an unusual color. The woman's irises were a saturated shade of orange. It was the shade of orange that could've been from a decaying leaf, during autumn.

"And this lovely woman, who is sitting next to Hexa, is the beautiful, the most vivacious woman that I've—

"Eddie, you might as well cut the bullshit out, right now…" The woman's orange-hued eyes were cut to Edmond. A sly smile grew on her face.

Nasira caught a glimpse of a pair of fangs in the woman's mouth. 'Oh… Kay. This is Dauntless, so why am I surprised?'

"…I am still mad at you and you're still in the doghouse, bitch," claimed the mysterious woman.

Nasira did a subtle flinch after she heard the epithet thrown towards Edmond. 'Well, jeez…' Her eyes did a brief glimpse at Edmond. The woman held her right hand to her left breast and she held a pout on her face. Her eyes cast a sad stare at the woman. The technician caught a sense that the woman wasn't offended by this woman's insult. 'Well, if she's not bothered by the act of being called a 'bitch', then I shouldn't be.' Her line of sight flickered back to the eerie-eyed woman.

The woman was focused on Nasira. "Hi, I don't need Eddie down there to introduce _me_ …

'Oh…Kay. But _Eddie_ was being nice and hospitable by doing so… But, whatever.' Nasira felt her level of dislike for the woman grow. There was something about her character and her demeanor that was coming off as being cocky and arrogant.

"…My name is Axis…"

'I wonder if her name is a legit name or an 'I-just-transferred-into Dauntless-and I-need a-new personality' name.'

"…I am the _unfortunate_ and _long-suffering_ wife to that fool that is sitting on the other end of the table," Axis informed Nasira.

Nasira eyed her former neighbor and noticed the sense of discomfort in her brown orbs. The woman tried to veil it with a smile and with her mannerisms. As Nasira's eyes traveled back to the sight of Axis, she thought 'it is official: I think she is a bitch'. A thin, tight-lipped smile developed on Nasira's lips and a weak chortle fell from her throat. "It is nice to meet you, Axis."

"Hey Axis, I know her family," Edmond told her wife.

Axis' purple-dyed, left eyebrow raised a bit as she stared at her wife. "Oh really?" She eyed Nasira. "How does she _know_ your family?"

"My brothers were friends with her sisters, when they were kids. She lived across the street from me," answered Nasira.

"Ohhhhh," Axis sang. Her voice held a sense of teasing. "So…" She held her hands up and in front of her face. She began picking at her fingernails, which were sharpened and formed into points on the tips. She glimpsed at her nails. "…Your brothers know her sister…" Her orange-hued orbs focused on Nasira. A broad smile grew on her face. "… _Darla_?"

Nasira knew that there was an underlying dig towards her wife, with that peculiar inquiry. She didn't need to hear the low-volume laughing from Valeria and Axis to know it. The level of dis-likability for Edmond's creepy-looking wife was raising, according to her.

"Axis, don't start… _Please_ ," Edmond warned in a softer tone than the one that she already possessed.

Nasira's eyes danced between Edmond, Valeria, Hexa and Axis. "What? What is it?" she softly questioned.

Valeria smiled, making her dimples display. She leaned forward and rested her forearms against the table. "Would you like to meet…?"

"Valeria," warned Edmond. There were more snickers between Valeria and Axis.

The technician eyed Valeria and Axis. Then she focused on Hexa, who was staring at her plate of food and fiddling with her cell phone. She immediately drew the assumption that Hexa must've been friends with Edmond while Valeria and Axis were in a friendship. Thirty minutes had already passed and she could already tell that their characters did not flow together well.

"…Darla?" teased Valeria.

Nasira released a rough exhale through her nose. She hoped that her face did not display her patented, 'I don't have time for this bullshit' expression because she felt like it would've been rude. She glanced at all three women. "Oh…kay," she murmured.

The taller woman proceeded to glance over her left shoulder. She stared at the other inhabitants that invaded the cafeteria. When she couldn't get a better glance, she slightly twisted her torso. She was searching for a particular person out of the hundreds of people who were in the room. Nasira believed that her mission's objective was going to be impossible to fulfill. Then she saw Valeria's broad shoulders tense up. She quickly turned back around. "Found her," she announced to the table's occupants.

"Where?" Axis stated with glee. She also started to scan the spacious room. She turned her attention to Valeria. "Where, dude? You gotta tell me."

Valeria did a brief glance from over her shoulder and then she eyed Nasira. "She's at you're…" The woman pointed to her, with her right index finger. "…two o' clock. She's standing by the stairwell that leads up to the leadership table." Suddenly all five women turned their attentions to the location.

Nasira's line of sight was immediately drawn to the location by the iron-casted stairwell. Her eyesight was immediately flooded by a spectacle. She felt her eyes widened with shock. There was a small group of nine women hoarding in the space that was underneath the stairs. They all stood in a clumsy, semi-straight line, a few inches away from the stone wall. Each woman was dressed in clothes that were barely covering their bodies. If Nasira had to guess which one of their body parts was covered the most, then she would've said their faces. The faces were stylishly coiffed with layers of makeup. For a second, she assumed that they were a group of friends that were groupies for the Dauntless men. But then she realized that they didn't carry themselves like the typical meat-traps. They weren't mingling amongst the crowds of people. In their bodies' language, they appeared to be apprehensive about being there. Then, there was the woman that kept hovering around them like she was annoying bee. She would reach out and touch at the women's hair, to make sure that their hair weren't out of place. Her fingers touched at the hemlines of their skirts, bikini bottoms or their short shorts.

She was making sure that each woman looked presentable, Nasira concluded. 'But why would she care about a bunch of meat-traps' appearances. Don't they all believe that they're each other's competition anyway? Why do these numb-skulls find this so funny? Her sister acts like a meat-trap. Big deal. Why is Edmond acting like she's so—

The answer struck her, out of the blue. 'They're prostitutes,' her logical side answered. Nasira's eyes opened even wider. "Ah-Ohhhh," she gasped in awe. She tore her attention away from the scene and she glanced at Edmond. The woman was staring down at her plate of a cheeseburger and fries. An uneasy energy was radiating off of her. She wanted to tell the woman that she was sorry, but she thought that her apology would've added to the woman's public humiliation. Instead, she had committed the same act that she performed with Sophie, on the night before. As the woman's right hand rested on the table top, Nasira discreetly gave it a squeeze. The hand felt hotter than her own and more calloused. Edmond's brown eyes focused on Nasira's darker brown orbs. The woman gave a small smile. The mother mouthed the words "I'm sorry" and then she removed her hand. Once Valeria and Hexa turned back around, Nasira said, "So, they're…" She tried to think of a suitable term to describe them.

"Prostitutes," both Hexa and Valeria answered at the same time.

A question popped up in her head and she hoped that any of them could answer it. "How is it possible for them to… _be here_? Why are they here? I thought that once you entered Dauntless, based off of your rankings, you were given a list of jobs to choose from. I don't recall being a…a…" She eyed Edmond, who was still staring at her plate. "…a…a...a—

"A prostitute," added Valeria.

Nasira nodded her head. "I didn't know that… _that job_ was on the list!" she pointed out. Axis and Valeria giggled. "What?" she said softly as she eyed the both of them. She suddenly felt like she was a naïve nerd, who was hanging out with the bad girls that played hooky and smoked cigarettes in the school's bathroom.

"Being a prostitute is not on the list of jobs, for Dauntless," Hexa informed her. Unlike her other two friends, she was being serious and there was more compassion coming from her. "Those girls are…" Then she whispered, "…factionless".

'WHAAAAAAAAATTT?!' Nasira figured that her reaction was written on her face. She heard more laughter coming from Valeria and Axis. The mother opened her mouth to speak, but no sound fell out. She was too shocked to say anything.

Hexa continued on. "I know that this seems far-fetched to you, but it's not, if you really think about it. _Think about it_ : there are factionless girls out there who are looking for a place to stay and for food. After a while, they will be willing to do anything."

Nasira gained her ability to speak again. "How is this even possible? How are they able to come onto our territory and…Sell their wares?" There was the snickering again.

"Well, it—

"It's not that hard to figure out, Nasira." All eyes focused on Edmond. "It's the oldest and most lucrative profession in history. Dauntless isn't all that pure. There are some cracks and holes in the system." She played with a fry. "And to answer your question: just look at them again. Do you think Dauntless guards are going to stop half-naked women from coming onto the premises?"

'She's right,' concluded Nasira.

Her eyes focused on the small group of women again. A pair of Dauntless men were standing in front of a woman, who was dressed in a black mono-kini and thigh-high boots. They were chatting away with her, as their hands occasionally reached out and touched slivers of her exposed skin. From a passerby's viewpoint, she appeared as if she didn't mind their invading hands. But, they wouldn't see the sense of uneasiness in the woman's eyes. Movement erupted in her peripheral view. Soon, she saw the buzzing and hovering woman invade her spectral point. Nasira's eyes detected the solid bump that took up space on the woman's midsection. She knew that the belly wasn't a beer gut. She watched the pregnant woman approached the two patrolmen. She wedged her body in between them and she placed a hand on each of their backs. She chatted with the men. After a minute passed, one of the men gave the woman his kiosk card. The woman smiled and her head performed a nod. Both the men and the bikini-clad woman walked away. Nasira's eyes followed them. They ended up leaving the cafeteria. Her line of sight was drawn back to the talking woman. She held a device in her right hand and the kiosk card in her left hand. She was staring down at the device.

"Which woman…" Her dark brown eyes stared at Hexa and Valeria. "…is—

"The pregnant pimp…" Edmond answered. "…is my sister." She dipped a fry into a small puddle of ketchup. Before Nasira could ask the obvious question, she spoke up again. "This will not be her first baby and I'm pretty sure that it won't be her last…" She injected the saturated fry into her mouth. "…Her first four kids are being taken care of by my parents, back in the village. I'm sure she is going to dump this one off, as soon as she drops that load…" She dipped another fry into the ketchup. "…And my parents are going to take care of this child, _as usual_ …" Then she began to mutter under her breath.

As she spoke, Nasira felt waves and waves of anger fly off of Edmond. With each passing second, the anger grew stronger. Suddenly, a flash of black and purple ran across the young technician's eyes and soon Axis was filling up her sight. The purple-haired woman sat next to her wife and thrown an arm around the other woman's shoulders. She dipped her face closer to Edmond's flushed face. Nasira figured that the instigating, shit-starting wife was now offering up apologies and condolences. A wave of heat covered Nasira's face and ears. Her eyes narrowed as she spied the scene. 'She wouldn't be upset, if you kept your fucking mouth shut, you trouble-making bitch!'

"Ssssoooooo…. Who's going with me to Club Inferno?" announced Hexa, a few seconds later.

Nasira eyed the diminutive woman and noticed that she held a layer of normalcy, as if the previous scenario did not just happened. It gave a little bit of an understanding about this group.

Valeria snarled. "Ugh, it's the land of meat-traps and douche-bags. I would rather eat glass than to go there again," she commented.

Hexa scoffed. " _We get it_ , Valeria. You're too cool and you're not like the other girls! You would rather go to the gun range and the sparring rooms… We get it. You're a ' _special snowflake'_."

Nasira immediately fetched her cup and sipped from her straw. She didn't want to break out and laugh at the taller woman. She watched Hexa stared at the married couple that was sitting at the table.

"Okay guys, what about you? Do you feel like…?" She paused and then observed the couple. "Um, never mind." Then those greenish-brown eyes focused on her. "What about you?"

'Who?!' Nasira said, "What?"

"Do you want to go to Club Inferno with me?" the bubbly woman asked.

'What?' Nasira's brain questioned. 'Why? What for?' Her brow crumpled. "You want me…to go to a club…with you?" the mother of one said, with confusion lace in her voice.

Hexa slowly nodded her head while eyeing Nasira. "Yeeeaaahhh… I would like for you to go to the club with me." Her eyes did a curious glance at Valeria, who was staring at Nasira with her own curious glance. She returned her attention to Nasira. "You're sounding like you've never been to a club before."

"I... Haven't," confessed a reluctant Nasira. The sensation of being that naïve nerd-girl returned. Both Dauntless women's eyes bulged while their jaws briefly had gone slack.

"You've never been to a club before?!" asked a surprised Valeria. "And you're originally from Dauntless?!" She chuckled. "Shit, going to clubs and bar-hopping _is a must_! It was one of the things that I had done, after I made the drop into here. So, if you've never been to any clubs and bars here, what do you do for fun?"

"Well…" Her fingernails tapped the cup. "I have a son that I've been taking care—

"Okay-okay, so what did you do _before_ you had your son?" queried Hexa.

"Ummm…" she hummed. "…I had gone to museums in Erudite and the farmer's markets in Amity to buy supplies and…" She watched the women dissolved into fits of laughter. "…What?"

"I was referring to the _adult-related_ fun," clarified Hexa.

"Well, _I_ consider that to be fun," she grumbled.

"Okay, whatever you say, _mommy_ ," jibed Valeria. The tall woman stared over at her friend. "You definitely need to take her out tonight and sho—

" _Tonight_?!" Nasira blurted out. Both women glared at her. "I can't go out tonight! I need a babysitter and this is last minute and I—

"Why don't your husband take care of him? Or, perhaps, his father?" suggested Valeria.

The idea of asking Eric to take care of Lucien, so she could go out to a nightclub tonight, sounded like a terrible idea. Thankfully, he was preoccupied with his work. She shook her head. "No, he has to work tonight. There are two other people that I could think of that are willing to watch him…" She shook her head again. "…Like I said, this is too short of a notice even for them."

"Oooh," Valeria groaned. She raised her left index finger in the air. "Don't you have a person babysitting him right now?"

"Yes," she uttered as she nodded her head.

"Well…" Valeria shrugged her brawny shoulders. "…ask her to work over-time for you. Tell her that you'll pay her extra, if she stays the night and watch after the little tyke. Then have your son's father pay her."

'That's… That's a pretty good idea. Well, except for the 'asking Eric to pay Sophie the extra money' part. He'll more likely try to scare the girl into watching Luke _for free_ , for the rest of the year.'

"Boom! Your problem is solved," Hexa remarked. She eyed Nasira with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Now, you _really_ have no choice, but to say 'yes' to my invitation."

Both pairs of eyes were now glaring at her. 'I haven't had a genuine adult-related, social experience in a… Well, it's been forever,' she quietly assessed. 'Sure, my parents did the right thing by telling me to keep a low profile during my younger days, but it kind of screwed me over, when it came to making friends.' She continued to eye the women. 'I haven't been to a nightclub or even to a bar before. And I should've been to one, _by now_ …Even if it was for my twenty-first birthday!' Her eyes drifted off of the two occupants who were sitting at the table. Her eyes began to scan the cafeteria. 'I can definitely ask Sophie. I'm sure that she'll have no problem watching Luke. She did say that she has been having problems with her roommate as of lately. I'm sure she can use this night as a bit of a break from the girl. Plus, Sophie is a sweetheart and probably wouldn't say no anyway…' Her line of sight landed on the trail of sex workers that still lined up against the wall. Then it drifted away from them and landed on the metal staircase. She drifted up the stairwell and peered into the alcove, where the faction's leaders sit and eat their meals. '…Plus, Luke…' It was now occupied with leaders and their guests. Her sight landed on some familiar faces. There was Max with his company. Leader Holland was also present and he brought along two assistants. Her uncle Xerxes, who was the leader of defense, was there as well. He brought along his wife and son, Nasira's cousin, Fallon. '…sleeps through the night, now. So, he won't wake up and won't need me. Thank goodness for—

Her thought was disrupted, when her eyes landed on more familiar faces. There was a certain blue-eyed and steely-gazed leader amongst the pair of faces. But, it wasn't his presence that caught her attention. It was the woman that was accompanying him that caused her brain to freeze up. She became a spectator, who was peeking into the lives of Eric Coulter and Anissa Howard. She watched the faction's youngest leader place an affectionate arm around Anissa's lower back and gently led her over to where the other faction leaders were lounging about. She stared at Eric as he politely introduced the cunning doctor to his colleagues. She watched the black widow spin her web of allure around Max, her uncle Xerxes, Leader Holland and the other remaining leaders. Nasira also took note that Anissa felt comfortable mingling with the authority figures, as if she rightfully belonged there.

She looked away. The pain in her chest returned. It was nestled right in the middle of her breasts, dead-center in the valley. She desperately wanted to press her fingertips to the affected area. She didn't want to draw attention to that particular part of herself, so she let it simmer.

Her eyes were drawn back to the alcove. Anissa Howard was in the middle of a saunter. She was strolling up to the balcony. She stood upright with her hands gripping the metal railing, as soon as she arrived. Nasira watched her as the young doctor surveyed the spacious cafeteria. On her face, there was a smile. It wasn't a bubbly one. It was reeking of smugness. 'I wonder what you're thinking about,' she wondered as she stared at the woman.

Her eyesight drifted back over to Valeria's and Hexa's faces. She tried to keep her sight from off of her, but her curiosity won out. She peered up at the balcony again. This time, she was greeted with the view of both Anissa and Eric. They were standing next to each other. There was a handful of space in between them. They were talking in hushed tones. Nasira deciphered their body languages. They were in the stages of being content. She still had that smile on her face. Eric, on the other hand, didn't openly convey any joyfulness. His body was relaxed, however. He appeared to be listening to her, as if he was interested in every syllable that her lips pronounced.

'Unlike with me. Unless I am talking about Lucien, he really doesn't care about me.' Then she was faced with the imagined scenario of being a lonely old woman, waiting in her living room for a boyfriend that will never show up. A strong, burning sensation took over her chest and diaphragm, once she made that statement. It burned so ferociously that her face made a thinned-out wince. 'I can't do this anymore. For real… I can't.'

Without looking away from the couple, she said to Hexa "I thought about it. I'm in... What time do you want to meet up?"

*~oMLo~*

"Come on, Miss G.! I want to see you in your new outfit!" chirped Sophie from the living room.

Nasira stared at her reflection. She stood in front of the six-foot, free-standing mirror that was inside of her bedroom. She silently inspected the outfit that she had chosen to wear for tonight's festivities. Her eyes took in the all-black ensemble and she was trying hard not to cringe. She stared at the crisscrossed top that barely covered all of her large bosom and then at the midi skirt, along with the hip-high slits. 'Oh goodness,' she silently groaned. 'I don't think I could leave my apartment dressed like this!'

"Miss G.?!"

"I'll be right out!" she called out.

"Okay!"

The mother-of-one gave her reflection another look and then recalled her moment in the Indulge Lady Boutique, the clothing store where she bought her outfit. She ended her shift early for that day and traveled down to the shopping district that was in The Pit. She had visited a few stores before she patroned the boutique. She was immediately approached by a blue-haired woman that chosen to go by the name of Viscera. She possessed electric blue-colored hair and several eyebrow piercings. She was dressed stylishly-well, which was the reason why she trusted the woman's input. The saleswoman was the one who picked out the outfit. According to the woman, Nasira was going to be the first woman to wear the dress before it was put out on display. After twenty minutes of hearing Viscera's compliments, she brought the dress and some other items with it.

'Okay… if Viscera said that a lot of Dauntless women wear outfits like these, then she must be right. After all, she has more experience with interacting with other Dauntless women than I do.' Her fingers touched at the soft fabric that made up the top. She peeled it away from her skin slightly and she revealed the flesh-colored contraption that was hidden underneath. 'And I hope that this damn bra will be able to hold in my girls.'

With observing glance to her makeup-coated face and to her stylized hair, she stepped away from the mirror. She turned away and walked to the foot of her bed, where her clutch purse was waiting. With purse in hand, she scanned the tidy bedroom one last time. "Okay… Here goes nothing," she muttered. She exited out of the bedroom and entered the hallway. Her hearing was immediately flooded with the sounds of cheerful, cartoonish-like music that was playing from the vid-con. It was coming from the living room, where Sophie was playing with Lucien. Underneath the music, there were the sounds of Lucien's joyful shrieks and husky laughing.

The mom entered the living room a few seconds later and was greeted by a joyful scene. Sophie and Lucien were standing in the open space that was in between the sectional and the hallway's entrance, inside of the baby's guarded playpen. The teenager was dancing in rhythm with the music and Lucien was attempting to mimic her actions. His little arms would swing by its sides in an uncoordinated rhythm. He occasionally bobbed his knees. But he mainly laughed and shrieked. He pointed at his nanny, his friend. Both were dressed in colorful pajamas, which made the scenario funnier.

When Nasira made her presence known, she watched an expression of shock take over Sophie's face. The young girl then kneeled in front of the toddler and she alerted the boy of his mother's presence. A toothy smile was drawn on the boy's face and his little body trembled with giggles.

"Look at how pretty your mama looks, Lukie!" announced Sophie.

"Ttttt-eeee!" Lucien shrieked. At that moment, Nasira's heart pounded as she swooned, once her son unknowingly complimented her.

"You look beautiful, Miss G.!" remarked Sophie.

Nasira smiled. "Thank you, Sophie!" She walked over to the pajama-clad duo and she kneeled in front of them. Her son immediately walked over and embraced her. Once his arms wrapped around her neck, he squeezed. She did a subtle gag, a testament to his strength. He gave her left cheek a sloppy, drool-infested kiss and then he released her, before sitting on her lap.

"So where are you going tonight, Miss G.?" the teenager asked as she played with Lucien's fat feet.

"I'm meeting up with a few co-workers of mine and we're going to a club named The Inferno—

"Don't you mean ' _Club Inferno_ '?" the teenager corrected her.

"Oh yeah," she grunted. "Have you ever been to Club Inferno before?"

Sophie nodded her head. "Once before, during my initiation process. A few of the initiates, including my soon-to-be roommate at the time, invited me to tag along. I had a fun time. It was cool. It's a typical club experience."

"I've never been to a club before," confessed Nasira.

"Oh, okay" the teenager said nonchalantly.

Nasira blushed, a sign of her gratitude towards the teenager, for not making her feel like she was a social leper.

"Well, expect to be in a semi-dark room with a lot of flashing lights. There will be loud music— No, _very loud_ music playing throughout the club. So, you'll probably need to stuff your ears with a piece of toilet tissue. Or your ears will be ringing all day tomorrow. Drinks are going to be expensive, _including_ the bottles of water. _Don't_ accept drinks from anybody. Not unless you see the people make your drinks. The men…" Sophie did a perusal of her boss' outfit. "…will _definitely_ love you," she said with a smirk on her face. "So expect for some men to act like a bunch of assholes. They will be grabbing and pulling on you—

Nasira's eyed widened in alarm. "Grabbing and pulling on _what_?"

The teenager placed a reassuring hand on her left hand. "They are going to try to get your attention by grabbing and pulling on your hands or on your wrists. You know… Rather than walk up to you and act like a gentleman and ask for your name and stuff," she clarified.

"Ohhhh…okay," the woman gasped, with relief pulling at her soul. "For a moment there, I thought that you meant something else."

The girl chuckled. "What else can I tell you? Oh! Try not to stay until it's time for you to leave. Usually the mischief and the bull-crap occurs outside of the club around that time. So leave early," she suggested.

Nasira giggled. "Thank you, again, Sophie."

"It's no problem," she said with a wave of her hand. "You might see my roommate and her boyfriend there tonight, ever since Club Inferno is her usual haunting spot. I don't think her boyfriend knows this, though."

"Speaking of whom, how you and her, right now?"

"We're kind of alright." Sophie shrugged her shoulders. "Our problems are revolving around her boyfriend's presence in our home. He's 'on-leave' right now, from his shifts at the wall, so they have been reuniting all over the damn apartment."

Nasira chuckled. She placed a supportive hand on the young woman's left knee. "Soph, you know that I have an extra bedroom in here. If you need a break from them, then you can come here."

Sophie smiled. "Thanks, Miss. G. I really appreciate the help." She deeply sighed. "Something tells me that I am going to need it."

*~oMLo~*

It was close to eleven o' clock, when she arrived to the entrance of Club Inferno. It was close to an hour and a half ago, when she arrived to the underground city that was known as The Pit and she managed to become swallowed up amongst the sea of dwellers. She became lost despite the fact that Hexa had left traveling instructions on her phone. For the Dauntless woman, it was hard to travel down the busied, cracked asphalt streets. Her senses kept being attacked by the city's habitat. There was a faint sulfuric scent in the recycled air and it kept her eyeballs constantly watery while the scents of the neglected heaps of garbage made her stomach want to burrow itself into her asshole.

Once she admitted to herself that she couldn't find this place, she decided that this was fate's way of telling her to go back home. After dusting her shoes off and was about to search for The Pit's exit, she was given a massive hint in the form of an advertisement for the club. It was a large, electric sign that showcased the club's name and an arrow that pointed in the direction of the club.

The entrance to the infamous nightclub was located at the base of an alleyway. An aisle that was located in between two buildings that housed a take-out restaurant and a gun shop. On the club's façade, there was a large sign with neon lights. "Club Inferno" was printed in red lights while there were flames surrounding the words. Underneath the large sign, was a tall black door, which had a pair of imposing men guarding. There was a shorter and less-intimidating man standing a few feet of them. He held a plastic red clipboard in his left hand and an ear piece in his right ear.

Her eyes scanned the vicinity of the nightclub and was filled with caution. She expected to see a scenario that was similar to all of the club scenes that she had seen in countless of films, growing up. She expected to see a thick and long line of potential club-goers; a line that would've traveled from out of the alleyway to wrap around the neighboring building. Instead she was greeted with just the three men and a formidable door. 'Wait… Is this place open tonight?' she questioned herself as she strolled closer to the building. 'Did I come at a bad time or something?'

Just when she was eight feet away from the doorman and the bouncers, she heard a catcall come from the shorter one of the trio. The doorman turned to the side and stared at the men. "I have to say this again, guys…" He raised his hands in the air. "…I LOVE MY FUCKING JOB!" he screamed into the air. Then he faced towards the alleyway's entrance again. He openly ogled at the approaching woman. "Because I get to view all of the lovely and sexiest women that comes to this club!"

Nasira refrained from rolling her eyes. Instead she ended up gifting the man with a smile.

The talkative one turned his attention to the men that stood behind him. "One of you allow this beautiful vision to enter the club!" he demanded. Once she was a few inches in front of the doorman, his hand clasped the fastening of the thick velvet rope. He removed the barricade from in between them. With a lecherous smile on his face, he said, "Welcome to Club Inferno, sweetheart!"

'Well, that was easy,' her brain snorted. She glanced at the man and smiled. "Thank you." She observed him as he stepped to his left side and allowed for her to enter the perimeter. Once the sole of her left show touched the first step, she glanced over her left shoulder. "I hope that you have a good night, Sir," she said in a soft voice.

The doorman chuckled a raspy one. "No, darling. I really hope that _you_ have a great one!" His voice descended into a series of chuckles.

She rolled her eyes, shook her head subtly and smiled as she proceeded to enter into the club.

She was greeted by a small foyer, when she walked passed the threshold. It was small, about five feet wide and seven feet tall. The walls were painted with a bright red coloring. The foyer led to a stairwell that housed a long staircase that led to a higher level. As she took the stairs, her ears became clogged with the sound of muffled, yet loud bass-driven music. It pounded against her ear drums, as well as, against the walls. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she was met by a hostess behind a wooden podium and another bouncer. The statuesque lady wore all-black, including the latex masquerade mask that covered her forehead and eyes. Nasira detected the smoldering glare of lust that the woman gave her.

"Welcome to Club Inferno…" the hostess greeted as her blues eyes committed a slow perusal of her body. "…I hope that you'll enjoy yourself tonight."

Her thick, manicured eyebrows rose from the incredibility that she felt. "Thank… You," she told the other woman. She made a few steps away from the podium and further into the club. "Oh…Kay… That was weird for me."

She walked further into the club and learned that she was in a waiting room type of area. Similar to the walls that made up the stairwell and the foyer, the room's walls were painted with a bright shade of red. On the wall that made up the left side of the room, there were entrances to the men's and women's bathrooms. On the wall that was directly facing the entrances, was a row of black leather benches. Above the benches was a collage of framed art. Directly across from her location, she noticed that there was an opening in the room that overlooked the largest part of the nightclub. Her feet took her across the room. She was led into a veranda-type of structure. She walked over to the railing and peered down.

'Sophie was right again,' she thought as she took note of the club's ambiance. The main area reminded Nasira of a large cavern that was decorated and modified. The area was spacious…and cavernous. The walls were made from rock, as if it was purposely chiseled. The walls contained little nooks and niches that were decorated with either lit candles or for the roving club lights. On the wall that was opposite from the veranda, there were two floors that were opened and held glass railings. Each floor was well-lit and contained sitting furniture and tables. She assumed that those areas were VIP areas. The main floor housed the dancefloor and the bar. The dancefloor was large but was packed with dancing club-goers already. The bar, which was on the left side of the room, was surrounded by three layers of people. The square-shaped structure housed well-lit lights inside. A humanoid sculpture was hanging above the bar. Its hands were clasping on to the wine rack that hung above the bar. Her eyes surveyed everything as her excitement poured over her. Her brain alerted her a reminder about contacting her lunch-mate. 'I have to tell her that I am here.' She immediately removed her cell phone from her clutch purse. She managed to type up a quick message to her acquaintance. She notified the woman that she had just arrived and would be hanging out by the bar. Then she slipped her phone back into her purse.

She found the entrance into the club, which a long staircase that was about six stories tall. It was also the staircase that housed numerous people's bodies as they lounged about. As she descended, she detected several stares from passersby and stationary club-goers. The skin on her hands and wrists even felt skin brush up against them. 'Another thing that Sophie was right about,' she silently huffed.

Once she made it to the bottom of the stairs, she trekked over to the bar. The trip had taken longer than she expected, in large part due to the countless of people who chose to stand in the area between the bar and the staircase's entrance. She ended up surveying two sides of the bar for an empty spot before she was able to find one, on her third trip. She procured her phone again and checked her messages. Hexa left her a message of "Where are you?" She looked away from her phone and surveyed the vicinity, searching for a landmark to use. She eventually found one, in the form of a flat-screen television that kept repetitively advertising a beer brand. She stared at her phone's screen and her fingers began typing. 'Bar. Near… The… T—

"Okay, what can I get for you?" She assumed that the inquiry had come from a bartender.

She looked away from her phone and stared into the direction of the bar. Her eyes greeted a man that was dressed in all-black attire: black tank top and jeans. His face was decorated with tattoos and there were gauges in his earlobes, stretching them out. His eyes were focused on her. "I'll take a cranberry with vodka, please," she said politely and with a smile tugging on her lips. The bartender gave her a curt nod and proceeded to prepare her drink. Nasira had gone back to the task of typing up her message. 'The…Side…With…The…Tel—

" **BOO!** "

Her fright caused her breath to be lodge up in her throat while making her heart pound against her chest. Her body jolted in her decorative high heels. **'** **SHHHIIITTTTT!'** her brain screamed out. A second later, her right hand clasped the edge of the bar. She pressed her cell phone-adorned hand against her chest. **'** **WHAT-THE-FUCK, MAN?!'**

She allowed four shuddering breaths to escape from her mouth before she decided to confront the asshole, who just scared the shit out of her. She flung her body around and was greeted by a familiar face. She came face-to-face with the diminutive red-haired beauty that was Hexa. The woman was cackling and staring at her. The loud electric dance music was swallowing up the joyful sound, but it was still obvious that she was laughing.

"WHAT-THE-FUCK, HEXA?! YOU'VE JUST SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME JUST NOW!" she screamed at the woman.

Her reaction gave Hexa's sense of humor more fodder. She continued to laugh. Her light brown skin became flushed with redness while her eyes were glossy with tears. She gave Nasira's left arm a light and playful punch. "Oh, come on… It was funny…" When she realized that the taller woman was still not pleased with her prank, she began to perform a jig. After her minute routine, she smiled and batted her eyelashes. "You look _really-really-really-really pretty_ tonight!" she shouted over the music.

'Come on… She did give you reason to get out of the house tonight,' her conscience reminded her. 'Come on. It's stupid to hold a grudge against her for scaring you.' Nasira huffed. 'Come on…' She did it again. Without saying a word, she punched Hexa on her left shoulder. A smile slowly formed.

Hexa giggled. She pointed her finger at Nasira. "I hope you know that I am going to consider that to be foreplay!" she jested.

An ill-mannered like snort fell from the mother's nose and her smile broadened.

"See? All is forgiven!" announced Hexa. She saddled up into the space that was on Nasira's left side, by the bar.

Nasira's face dipped closer to Hexa's right ear. "Would you like something to drink?!" she shouted over the music.

"Sure! What are you getting?" she shouted.

"I've already or—

"Ma'am?!" she heard the bartender scream.

She looked towards the employee. He gestured to the bar. She peered down at the glass with the beverage of her choice. It was a thick layered, square-shaped glass that held a burgundy liquid and a few chucks of ice, as well as, a thin plastic straw. A black, squared napkin was underneath the glass. She peeped at the bartender. "How much?!"

"Eight dollars!" was his answer.

She quickly handed the employee her card. As soon as the bartender was out of earshot, her acquaintance said, "I hope that you're planning on drinking more than that eight-dollar drink, tonight!"

Nasira subtly shook her head as she sipped her drink. "I can't! I drove tonight and I would like to make it home to my baby, in one piece!" she further explained, a few seconds later.

"Don't you mean ' _babies'?_ Or is your man in the doghouse, right now?!"

"Nope. I don't have a man! It's just me and my son!" she explained. She really hoped that Hexa wouldn't pry for more information.

Turned out, good luck wasn't on her side. "What are you: divorced or something?!"

"It's more like 'something'…" She sipped more of her drink. The alcoholic beverage did nothing to calm her frazzled nerves. "Me and him…" She shook her head. "We were never together. Well, except for that one night!"

The redhead's eyes widened while her lips parted, in faux surprise. "Well, I wouldn't have suspected you of being a 'wham-bam, thank you ma'am'. But then again, it is always the ones that you least suspect." She began to play with a leftover napkin. "Take it from me, the whole 'marriage' thing is overrated!"

"So, you were…?"

Hexa nodded her head. "Married?! Yup…" She presented Nasira with an origami paper crane. "…I was eighteen, when I married my ex-husband. We were both 'green behind the ears' about life. After we got hitched, he moved into my place because it was bigger. Then… It all fizzled. Soon, he felt like he was a roommate. Or, on some days, it was like he was my got-damned son! Especially when I had to clean up after him and cook for him and made sure that he was straight for the rest of the week, by giving him an allowance… A. Got-damned. Allowance, Nasira! A grown-fucking-man with an allowance! By then, I was just through with him!"

"Was that the only reason why you left him?!"

"That…And the fact that he developed a little _drug habit_ during our marriage! I kept finding these empty vials in various parts of our apartment. I knew what it was, so I confronted him about it! He lied, of course! But I pressed on and he told me the truth! Then he began to blame everything on me: I was unaffectionate towards him! I was treating him like I was his mother! He wanted to have kids and I didn't! I was making more money than him! Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah…"

"You were making more money than him?!"

Hexa nodded her head. "I'm an Iron Ram!" she said so matter-of-factly. She began to laugh when she saw the look of shock on Nasira's face. "What?!" she chuckled.

"You're a… You're a got-damned Iron Ram!" Nasira unleashed an incredulous chuckle. "Oh my God, Hexa! Do you know how awesome that is?!"

The shorter woman's fine features grimaced. She snorted and then chuckle. She waved her hand in a nonchalant way. "It's nothing, but an over-glorified garbage picker!" she declared.

"But dude… You travel outside of the wall and travel for _days_ at a time! Shit, that just _sounds_ dangerous and crazy to me! Like for real, what do you guys look for, when you're out there?!"

"One of the things…" She stopped speaking. She leveled a soul-penetrating glower at Nasira. She suddenly pointed her left index finger at her. "…and you cannot tell anybody about what I am about to say…" she warned.

Nasira wordlessly made the sign of a cross over her left breast and then she twisted her left middle finger over the index finger. "I'll take it to the grave!"

Hexa performed a curt nod. "Alright… We're looking for oil and we're looking for spots to add on to our sewer systems," she informed her.

With widened eyes and a sense of surprise tying down her spirit, she asked, "Why?! Are we running out of oil?!"

"As of right now… No. But the factions' officials believe that we will be depleted within the next forty-four years, if we keep consuming at the same rate. So, what they're plan—

"Here you go, ma'am!" The bartender was back and he had Nasira's card in his hand.

"Thank you, Sir!" she said to the tattooed man as she accepted her card back.

Hexa managed to get the guy's attention. "Hey darling, can you get me two 'Blood and Carnages' please?"

Nasira's face grimaced. 'Two… what?! What are those?!' The bartender nodded his head and said a "Coming right up". Once he was gone, Nasira had to ask about those drinks. "What-in the-hell are 'Blood and…?"

"Carnages?" the short woman said, finishing Nasira's sentence. "It's one of Club Inferno's signature drinks! It tastes delicious! So of course, it is not the most favorite drink around here ever since everybody wants to _look tough_ around here! It's a drink with a chocolate-strawberry flavored tequila! It comes in this cool looking glass! You'll see! I think you'll like it!"

"Okay," Nasira said as she looked unsure about this drink.

Hexa laughed. "Trust me, you'll like it!"

Nasira nodded her head. "You didn't finish telling me about the factions' plans for the oil," she reminded her, a minute later.

"Ohhh," Hexa gasped. "You're right about that one! Um… What they're planning to do is build another city, once they find a place in which they can siphon the oil from the ground! But this place will carry only workers and their families! I know that a shit-load of Dauntless soldiers will be patrolling this place, once it gets built!"

"How long do you think it will take for something like that to be built?! Because you've gotta think about it: land has to be excavated, properties has to be built and a wall has to be created for this city… It's going to take time!"

"If I have to guess… It's going to take more than thirty years for this to be finish!" the woman told her.

"So, what do you do for your job?!" Nasira asked. She was aware that she sounded like an excited child talking to a Dauntless soldier.

Hexa sensed this because she laughed and her cheeks developed a blush. "I am one of the drivers!"

Nasira's eyes bulged while a toothy grin appeared on her face. "One of the big…rig…drivers?! Are you pulling my leg?!"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "I am a big rig driver. I only drive one truck and one truck only! I know some drivers who are willing to drive any vehicle, but I'm not one of them! I think it is a bad omen to drive another truck, after you've build a rapport with it! My truck's name is Odysseus and I've been with him since my first ride."

"Wow…" Nasira gasped as she stared at the woman with marvel. She glimpsed down at her leftover drink. "Is this how you've met Edmond, Valeria and…" She rolled her eyes and briefly snarled. "…Axis?!"

Hexa chuckled. "So, you don't like Axis _either_?!"

"The way that you've just said 'either' makes me think that I'm not the only one!" And to answer your question, the answer is 'No'. I don't like the way she treats Edmond! I don't know her well, but she seems like a good egg!"

"She _is_ a good egg, Nass…"

Nasira smiled after she heard her new nickname.

"…she's just in a horrible fucking relationship because she thinks that Axis is the best that she can do! I hate it! She hates it! Our families hate it! And we hate Axis! And to answer your question: Edmond is my cousin. Valeria is Axis' best friend. I only hang out with them because of Edmond and I don't want to stay cooped up in my apartment, during my 'leaves'," she explained.

"You're on leave?!"

Hexa nodded her head. "I will be in civilization for the next month and half! Then I'll be going again for two months! That's how it goes: I am traveling for two months and then I am off for another two months and then I am back on again!"

"Whoa," she gasped. "Is it bad out there?!" she asked, a moment later.

"Nah," she said with the shake of her head. "It's…freeing, actually." She looked at Nasira. "Plus, I'm not alone! With every big rig, there's four hummers following. They're there to guard me. They're also there to make sure that I don't smuggle out any factionless or…" She tilted her head to the side. "… _Smuggle in_ certain elements."

"People from the Badlands?" Nasira said, filling in the blanks.

The driver tapped the tip of her index finger to the tip of her nose, in a repetitive pattern. "Bingo! There have been rumors that they have been sneaking into Chi-Town and riling up the factionless on the north side!"

"But, why?!" Nasira gasped.

Hexa could only shrug her shoulders. "All I know is: if one of those guards who are traveling with me even _suspects_ that I am carrying more than one person in Odysseus, I will be shot on sight! I don't know why they are acting weird about the factionless now! They aren't taking care of them! They won't allow them to return to their families! And they expect them to be docile and compliant to the government's ass-backwards rules!" Hexa then snorted. "If those people can find sanctuary outside of the walls, then let them, I say!"

"Mmmm…" Nasira hummed.

"Mmmmm, what, milady?!" she teased.

'From what my father used to tell me, The Badlands isn't called the 'The Badlands' because of the shitty terrain... Should I tell her?' She huffed. 'Oh what-the-hell?' She looked at her newfound friend. "Hex?" she called out. The woman's hazel eyes focused on her. "Have you heard the stories about the 'Freedom Nine'?!"

"Fuck yeah! It was one of the things that I had to read about in all of my history classes, growing up! What about them?!"

"My father was one of them," she confessed. She watched Hexa's eyes widened and her jaw become slack. Before she could speak, the bartender returned with their drinks. He settled the glasses down on the bar. Hexa passed him her card, as well as, slapped Nasira's hand after she offered her own, to the bartender. The mother stared down at the visually-intoxicating drinks. "This… This is it?"

"Yup. Isn't it awesome?!"

Each Blood and Carnage drink was placed in a stout, squared glass; one that was similar to the glass that housed Nasira's vodka and cranberry concoction. There were three layers to this drink. On the top surface, there was a layer of almost-transparent fire. The flames kept blending into the air, making it almost invisible. The second layer was a thick, red substance that was slowly bleeding into the third layer. For the bottom layer, there was a thickened black liquid which gave off of the appearance that it was bleeding.

"Now here is the awesome part: blow the flame out and watch what happens!" instructed Hexa.

Nasira picked up the glass and put it close to her lips. Her nostrils immediately picked up a fragrance that contained the scents of freshly-cut strawberries, melted dark chocolate and a spicy menthol-related scent. She blew out the flame. Her eyes watched the density of the beverage change dramatically before her eyes. It had gone from a thick syrupy fluid to a black-colored, thin and watery-type of substance. Her eyes widened. " _What type of black magic, is this_?!" she screamed down into the cup. She heard Hexa's booming cackle underneath the music.

"It's courtesy from the beautiful scientists of Erudite!" she informed the woman. "They've finally made something that I could actually enjoy!" She blew her own fire and watched the beverage morph. "I forgot how it goes exactly, but I know that the fire keeps the liquid thick because it deprives the liquid of oxygen. Once the flame goes out and oxygen touches the red stuff, it changes." She blew into the glass for a few seconds and she takes a sip of her drink. Her eyes danced over to Nasira's face. "Try it!"

'Oh, what-the-hell?! What's the worst that can happen? I wake up in some strange guy's bed and I become pregnant with Baby Number Two?' She snorted and chuckled, before taking a sip. Just like with her lunch, her mouth was bombarded with an onslaught of delightful sensations. Her taste buds picked up the taste of a chocolate-covered strawberry and a subtle spicy taste underneath. "Mmmm," she sung as she nodded her head.

"Ssseeee?! I told you that you will like it!" squealed Hexa before she began to enjoy her drink. Both women turned away from the bar as soon after she received her card again. Their backs leaned up against the edge of the bar. "Ever since this is your first club experience, how do you like it so far?!"

"If I keep drinking one of _these…_ " Nasira raised her glass up slightly. "…I'll enjoy this club a heck of a lot more!" she jested. Both women laughed.

Nasira's eyes turned away from her buddy and she surveyed the area that surrounded them. With her drink in her hand and the plastic mixer in her mouth, she eyed fellow club-goers. Just like her, they were lounging around the vicinity and enjoying themselves. Her eyes, however, kept picking up on grief-filled sights, even though they were in a festive atmosphere. First, there was the trio of male Dauntless members, who were standing in a corner and rubbing at their own eyelids. Then there was a couple who were lounging on a leather chaise lounge that was pressed against the wall, fifteen feet across from where she was standing. The woman had her head resting up against the wall. A grimace and tear tracks decorated her face. She had an affectionate hand on her boyfriend's shoulder as he was sitting next to her, with his elbows resting on his knees. His eyes were glossy with tears and the eyelids were flushed with redness. He was staring into nothingness. She noticed a trio of guys in the first floor's veranda. They were standing close to the railing. One was leaning against the wall while his friends were leaning against the railing. One guy had his hand covering his face as he cried and his compatriot was staring straight ahead, but he was crying as well.

'Oh no,' her brain cried out. 'What happened? I hope nobody died.' She turned to Hexa. "Did anybody die in Dauntless, recently?!" she asked her.

The smaller-statured woman shook her head. "Not that I know of…" She shrugged her shoulders. "Why do you want to know?"

Nasira's pursed lips pointed in the direction of the several grieving people. "A bunch of people are upset about something! And it's not uncommon for members to drink away their sorrows and then cry about it later, when they're drunk!"

"No, honey…" Hexa told her as she shook her head. "…They're not grieving! They're weepers!"

"Reapers?!"

Hexa shook her head again, but she pulled on Nasira's arm. The woman brought her head closer to Hexa's mouth. "No, not _reapers_ … They're _weepers_!"

"Weepers?! What are…?" She paused when she saw the expression of disbelief on her face. "What?!"

"You were sheltered, when you were a child, weren't you?" Hexa told her. There was a fringe of condescending in her tone and it caused Nasira's cheeks to buzz with embarrassment.

Subconsciously, her shoulders rose a little and she pouted. "May…Be," she uttered, with a tone that displayed her milder version of shame.

She watched her friend unleash a deep inhale. Then she proceeded to explain the concept of weepers. " _Weepers_ are people who are addicted to the drug called 'Wept'! I know that back-in the-day it used to be called 'Jesus Wept' or it was called 'J'! Wept is a drug that originally was legal, close to a hundred years ago! A drug company in Erudite marketed it as being an anti-depressant that could be taken as eye drops! See?" Then she used her chin to point over to the chaise lounge-wearing couple.

Nasira glanced over at the man and woman. The guy was applying a few drops into the woman's right eye. In his left hand, he held a dark-colored vial and he held the dropper in his right index finger and thumb. After every application, the woman would close her eye and feverishly rub at her eyelid. Nasira turned away from the scene. She stared at her friend.

Hexa was taking a sip of her drink. Once she was finished, she continued with her impromptu history lesson. "It worked well. In fact, it worked _too well_ because people became severely depressed, once the drug would wear off! Suicides and attempts rates had skyrocketed because of this! Eventually the drug company had to take it off of the market! But somehow, it became a party drug and it became popular again! It was the drug that my ex-husband was addicted to! I asked him once, how did it feel! He said that it relaxes him and made him forget about all of his problems! But he said that the high doesn't last long and he had to have more of it!"

"Have you ever tried it?!"

She gave a nod. "Only once! Back when I was still living in Candor! I was stressed out about an exam and my home life! A friend— Well, some one that I thought was my friend—had gave me a few drops in my eyes! I remember that it only made me sleepy! I woke up just in time to see him try to pull off my pants!"

'Oh my God,' she breathed.

"Don't worry! He didn't do anything! Not, when I was finished with him!" Hexa had taken another sip of her beverage. She eyed Nasira with a mischievous glare. "Why do you want to know about it? Do you want to try it?"

Nasira furiously shook her head. "No! I was just curious!" she explained.

"Alright…" She turned her attention away. "…If you want to try it, just let me know!"

"Don't hold your breath, Hexa!"

The bad-ass of a woman cackled.

*~oMLo~*

She was unaware that she was staring at the bar's hovering wine and glass rack for the past seven minutes. 'I know that I shouldn't have listened to Hexa,' Nasira silently complained. She was standing in the middle of a spinning room. All she wanted to do was crumple down to the floor and go to sleep. Even under the wave of tipsy that she was enduring, she knew the act of sleeping on the dance floor would've been inappropriate. When she made her first step, she felt the earth shift. Her stomach convulsed. 'Oh God,' her brain groaned. 'Just please, make it to the bar and get a bottle of water.' Her stiletto-clad feet proceeded to make a performance of cautious steps towards the bar. She needed to buy a bottle of water, so she could flush out the two Blood and Carnage drinks, the vodka and cranberry drink and the impromptu shots of tequila that was in her system.

When she approached the bar, she unleashed a sigh of relief, much to the distress of her upset stomach. Her fingers desperately grasped the edge of the lit-up bar and she leaned her chest against the smoothed out edge. 'Oh thank the Gods!' Her eyes tried to focus on the female bartender that stood in front of her. "I need wah—

"Water?!" the woman shouted, cutting her off. After Nasira nodded her head, the woman said "Coming right away".

Nasira watched the woman walk away before she decided to plant her face into her palms. She groaned, out of frustration. She had spent previous forty-five minutes feeling this way. The sneaky little bastard managed to strike, when she least suspected. She was on the dancefloor with Hexa, dancing to dance melody that was infused with the old Samba music, from centuries ago. She made a pirouette and then discovered that she was still spinning. She knew this was the price to pay after ingesting three different kinds of alcohol with hardly no food in her stomach.

"Here you go, sweetheart!" the bartender announced.

A millisecond later, she felt a chilled wind nick at the backs of her hands. She lifted her face and eyed the bottle of chilled, spring water. Her eyes drowsily focused on the woman. "H-How much do I owe you?"

"It's already been paid for, hon!" she announced.

"Oh… Well, thank you," Nasira uttered. In the back of her mind, she was sure that the bartender didn't hear her.

"It's no problem, honey! Get that taken care of, before it gets worse," she advised. Then she walked away.

With trembling and heavy limbs, she grabbed the chilled bottle and unscrewed the cap. It required most of her strength. She carelessly dropped the cap onto the bar and brought the bottle to her lips. Without any reservations, she took several continuous gulps of the crisp and cold water. Her skin and head felt instant relief. Her sense of awareness stabbed and sliced through the foggy layer that the alcohol brought along. The thick layer of humidity and heat that clung to her skin evaporated. Her stomach, however, grumbled with distaste of having another beverage rammed inside. She removed the rim from her lips just as her awareness was alerted of another's presence.

"I was hoping that I would be able to meet you…"

Nasira's eyes landed their attention on the being that was standing next to her.

"…leave the dancefloor…"

Her nostrils flared as she took in the strong presence of his cologne. It reminded her of hand sanitizer. Her stomach grumbled once more. 'He must've bathe in it!'

"…if I am being honest, I must say that you are totally gorgeous…"

Her eyes did a full surveillance of the man that stood next to her, on her right side. She started with the crown of his hairless head and ended with the perusal of his proportionate thick thighs. Her eyes took in the sights of his toffee-colored skin, his moderately handsome face and somewhat muscular build. He was the proud owner of a few tattoos and piercings. A black tribal-inspired tattoo cradled his bald head while another tattoo kissed at his less-defined chin and jawlines. The tattoo reminded Nasira of the ones that were created by the extinct Maori tribes. His nostrils were subjected to live with a hoarder that came in the form of a thick, silver hoop that ran through his septum.

"…your name, beautiful?"

Fortunately for Nasira, she started to pay attention to his spoken words at the right moment. She propped the plastic bottle away from her face and she offered the stranger a tight-lipped smile. "My name is Nasira!" she announced over the loud music. She decided that honesty was the best policy, when it came to answering questions about herself… For now. She didn't want to make up egregious lies, which could come back and bite her in the ass, in the future.

The nameless and pierced stranger had to dip his head and bring his left ear close, in order to hear her voice. In this angle, she caught the melody his natural body odor and the cologne. The fragrance made her skin crawl. 'Now I know why he is drenched in that stuff!'

The man pulled back a little bit and announced, "The name's Ian". He offered up his right hand, a silent request for a handshake. She placed her smaller right hand into his and she gently squeeze. His hand was overtly calloused and thick-skinned. She concluded that he was raised in Amity or he performed manual labor, for his career in Dauntless. She watched Ian abruptly turned their hands around, so the back of her hand was subjected to his viewing. He ended up applying a sloppy kiss to her flesh. He didn't catch the horrified expression on her face.

"Eww,' she silently squealed.

Once he unleashed her hand from his grip, she automatically gripped her bottle of water again. Her fingers squeezed the body of the bottle with a death grip. She was fighting the urge to wipe the back of her hand. She refrained from doing so because she didn't want to appear like a bitch. Plus, she dealt with enough assholes to know that they could go from zero-to-sixty with their anger.

"Have you ever been here before?! This is the first time that I've ever seen you here!" proclaimed Ian.

'He's a regular here… Great. Strike one.' Nasira shook her head. There was more than one meaning behind her head's action. She was well-aware that he wouldn't catch on to the other one. "No, this is my first time!"

"Ohhh, so you're a newbie?!"

'In more ways than one.'

"How do like your experience so far?!" Ian asked.

""I am enjoying myself so far!"

"I can see that!" Ian's eyes did a rapid perusal of her cleavage. "I was watching you dance on the dancefloor! You move very well!"

Nasira smiled. "Thank you!"

"I'm sure that you can move well in many more ways!" He provided her with a lecherous grin that made her skin pucker up with goose-pimples.

'Oh God,' her brain groaned.

"So Nasira, what do you do here, in the land of the warriors…And of the bravest?!" he asked.

'Oh Gods, he's a Dauntless fan-boy too! God… Strike two.' She smiled. "I am a personal assistant to an accountant, in the Dauntless clinic," she lied. 'The last thing that I want to happen is this fool looking me up.'

"For me…" He took a step closer to her. "I work in the mechanical engineer department in the Brig…"

'A fucking gear-head! I should've known! He probably knows Prairie and the rest of those morons! Strike-fucking-three!' She slowly nodded her head. "Oh!" she gasped before her lips formed another smile.

"…I usually work on the Hummers before they go on their runs. To me, it is the perfect combination: a big, fierce guy working together with a big, fierce machine! It's fucking perfect!"

She resisted the urge of rolling her eyes. She released the bottle of water. Her eyes focused on the bar top…

"So would like another d—

…and she was suddenly splashed with a freezing cold liquid. Her right shoulder and arm were mostly affected by the attack while her exposed chest region were given droplets. The temperature of the beverage made her heart rate accelerate and her skin to pucker.

 ** _"_** ** _YO! WHAT-THE-FUCK?!"_** Ian screamed at the top of his lungs. She felt his anger.

She immediately turned to the mechanic and saw that he was facing someone else. His massive, shirt-covered back was facing her. She spotted a giant wet stain on his shirt. There was a pungent scent of liquor permeating from off of him. 'Someone spilled their drink on him,' she silently concluded.

"…so…so…so-so…so-so-so…so-so-so-so sorry, man!"

Seconds later, another man stumbled from out of Ian's view and into hers. He was a man with a shorter stature; he was shorter than the mechanic, but was taller than her. She could tell that he was well-built and kept himself in shape, not when he was being a drunkard. He was shrouded in Dauntless black with his skinny jeans, a form-fitting top and black combat boots. He wore an elaborate gold necklace with a chunky round pendant, around his neck. His face was blessed with Asiatic features: deep set naturally-narrowed eyes, a pair of plump pink lips and a subtle-looking nose. His jet-black hair was meticulously coiffed despite the rest of his body being in shambles.

"My bad, man!" His speech was slurred. He placed his right hand over his left breast. "It shouldn't have happened!"

 ** _"_** ** _GOT…DAMN IT!"_** raging Ian screamed. His angry cry was loud enough to alarm other bar patrons.

A snarl marred Nasira's pretty features as she continued to watch Ian overreact to the accident. 'Dude! What-the-hell is your problem?! It was—Oh, never mind. I just realized that you're a gear-head! Probably going through a roid-rage right now like the most of them!' She observed Ian as he quickly faced her. A harsh finger pointing was given to her.

 ** _"_** ** _YOU…STAY HERE! DON'T LEAVE! I'LL BE RIGHT—_**

Ian didn't bother to finish his statement. He turned away from her. She saw the big brute shove the poor inebriated fellow from out of his path. Then he proceeded to walk away. He managed to push a few club revelers out of his way as he marched away from the bar. She quickly assumed that he was heading to a men's restroom to clean up, before she turned her attention to the guy who was laying on the floor. Nasira viewed the weakened man's activity as he tried to stand up on his feet. His limbs provided a clumsily dance in the form of a struggle. 'Oh shit,' she silently groaned. She placed her bottle of water on the bar. She strolled over to the man and squatted down to be closer to the floor. She was mindful of the fact that her dress were crumpled in several unflattering ways. But she knew that the club was dark enough to conceal her naughty-bits. She tapped the man's left shoulder.

"Sir?!" she shouted.

Under the deep red-colored lighting, she saw the man struggle to get to the standard sitting position. His limbs moved at a slower pace as if they were boggled down by heavy anchors. She stared at him with the fervor of an amused spectator and a cautious caregiver. She removed her hand out of his personal space, but her arm's muscles were tensed, in case it needed to return to action. It had a taken a few attempts, but he managed to pull himself in the desired position. His posture was a bit off, though. His back formed a slight curve while his head was bowed.

Nasira slipped out of her squatting position and stood up. She bent over and placed a comforting hand on his right shoulder. "Sir, do you think that you can stand?!" she yelled down to his sloping head.

His head did an abrupt jerk with a whiplash-inspired quickness. Her eyes spotted the impish grin on his lips, even under the dark lights. Her line of sight took in his entire face and quickly assessed the appearance. He reminded her of a child who had just completed a prank and he totally got away with it.

'What the…?' The inquiry floated through her mind as her eyes slightly widened in diameter. Those same wide eyes focused on the suddenly-sobered man as he rose from the floor and he stood on his two feet. 'What-the-hell is going on?' she thought as she stood upright. She eyed the fellow as he wiped imaginary dust from off of his jeans.

"What's going…?" Her voice trailed off and the remnants were swallowed by the music.

The mystery guy eyed her and then smiled. He took a step forward. Out of instinct, she had taken a step backwards. He took a deep inhale and wordless expressed that he meant no harm towards her. Then he made another step forward. Nasira kept herself rooted in the same spot. Once he realized that she was going to stay still, he proceeded to become closer. The so-called drunkard invaded her personal space with only three big strides. As soon as he was close, he placed a gentle hold on her bare right shoulder. All the while, he kept his smile.

'What's going on here?'

His right index finger popped up in between their faces. Then the digit sailed up into the air. His arm soon followed. She figured out that he was pointing at something. "Eric send his regards!" he shouted into her right ear.

Nasira's eyes widened. She looked into the direction of which his finger was pointing. She learned that he was pointing towards the huge, first floor's veranda. There were several figures leaning up against the railing or just standing in front of it. But she only had her dark brown orbs on just one person. 'Eric…' her brain groaned while her eyes were focused on him. He held a dark-colored bottle in his left hand. She was sure that he was staring at her. The lights made it impossible for her to make his facial features out.

Dauntless faction leader Coulter did not look like a leader at the moment. He was dressed in 'civilian' clothes. It was civilian clothes that coincidentally managed to hide his leadership tattoos, Nasira noticed. He wore a stylish, long-sleeved turtle neck sweater that held a floppy collar, along with a pair of skinny jeans and a pair of military-styled boots. 'I don't think I have to call him Dauntless Leader Coulter tonight,' she believed.

"Well…"

Nasira tore her eyes from off of the faction leader and she stared at the deceptive man that stood in front of her. He already had his hand off of her shoulder and was a foot away.

"…my job here is done!" he announced. He pointed his right finger at her. "You, ma'am, are a good woman! I can see why he… _you know_!" the stranger told her.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. 'What does _that_ mean?'

The nameless man chuckled. He lifted his hand in the air and he performed a short wave. "Have a good night, Miss!" He gave her one last glance before walking away. He strolled into the direction of the crowded dance floor. Just as he delved into the sea of writhing bodies, Hexa emerged from it with a happy-infused frolic stitched to her movements. Nasira was reminded of the fact that they made a pact in which they promised to meet up at the bar, if they were to ever part from each other.

She eyed the shorter woman as the truck driver scanned the surroundings for her friend. She raised both hands in the air and she proceeded to wave them aggressively. "HEXA! HEXA! HEXA! HEXA!" she screamed into the air. She screamed and waved her hands for a few more seconds before she managed to gather the attention of another patron. Nasira observed this fellow club-goer as this patron decided to play the role of 'Good Samaritan'. He approached Hexa with the news that Nasira was trying to get her attention.

The short yet statuesque woman approached Nasira with a smile on her face. "How are you feeling?!"

"I'm a little better! The dizziness has disappear and—

Hexa's face grimaced. She tipped her nose in Nasira's direction. She quickly peeled back. "Why do you smell like you were swimming in a lake of martinis?!" the woman inquired.

"Some guy had a drink spilled on him and I was the unfortunate bystander that was splashed!" explained Nasira.

"Well, let's head to the bathroom, so you can get cleaned up! Plus, I have to take a piss like no other!"

Nasira laughed. Hexa grabbed her hand and proceeded to lead the way to the nearest restroom. As she made the first trio of steps, her sight landed on the veranda. Her eyes focused on the slight shadowy figure, who stood in front of the veranda's railing. For this viewing, he wasn't alone. He was sharing his spot with another person, a woman that was bathed in shadow. The young mother did not need to see her face to know the identity of her rival. Yes, her rival. It became apparent for Nasira Grant that Anissa Howard was her rival, earlier in the day, when she was at lunch. It was made known, as she watched Eric lavish this other woman with a public display of affection. Tonight was no exception. Here in the club, Anissa was holding onto the railing while the faction leader stood behind her. His hands kept her boxed in while his lips found claim over her bare shoulders that peeked out of the top of her dress. Nasira felt her stomach twisted and coiled while a burning knot of pressure burrowed itself into her chest. She lost control of her jaw and it became to chatter like one of those ridiculous 'gag-toys' that her brothers used to play with.

Nasira continued to stare at the 'loving couple' until Hexa, unknowingly, led her away.

The bathroom that her newfound friend led her to, was surprisingly barely occupied. Majority of its occupants were engaged with the mirrors that were mounted above the sinks. Hexa immediately let go of her hand and had gone to search for an empty toilet stall. Once she found one, she barricaded herself in the small booth. Still suffering from a burning chest and the churning in her gut, she searched for her own empty toilet stall. After she settled into one, she paced in the small room. Her trembling fingers were drawn to her lips. Her teeth nibbled on her manicured nails. In her mind, she replayed the scene that she just saw. Her lungs began to feel heavy. Her eyes became watery.

'Don't,' her conscience warned. 'He's not worth your tears. Remember what you said about them, a few months before Luke was born: they deserve each other. He's not worth this heartbreak. Not your feelings. Not your concern.' She subtly shook her head. "No, he's not," she murmured. "He's not." She reached towards the toilet paper dispensary and took a handful of paper. She wiped at her tear-soiled cheeks and then blew out the contents of her nose with the remaining paper. She flushed the only evidence to her breakdown.

She exited the stall just as Hexa exited hers. The actions did not go unnoticed by the woman. "Twinsies!" she sarcastically chirped as she pointed at Nasira.

The comment made Nasira chuckle. Both women walked over to the sink. Each women took claim over a sink.

"Hey Nass… What's wrong?!"

Nasira looked away from her wet hands and glanced at Hexa. "Hmm, what do you mean?"

"You've been crying," she pointed out. She held out a sudsy-decorated, index finger and it was aimed at Nasira's face.

Nasira immediately stared at her reflection. She zoned in on her face, which carried a lot of evidence. The spoiled tears managed to cut through the thin layer of foundation that she had on her face, leaving their tracks. The sclera in both eyes were tinted with red. The perfect lines of black eyeliner that marked the water lines of her eyelids, were ruined.

"You okay, sis?" the truck driver asked with genuine concern birthed in her tone.

The inquiry caused her air to become caught in her throat and her heart to pound. Wordlessly, she shook her head as she eyed her reflection. A few more tears slipped from her bottom lids. Her fingers automatically wiped away the tears.

"Is it the way that you're feeling from the drinking?" she queried. Nasira shook her head. "It's something else?" The mother nodded her head. "Does it involve a man?" Then after Nasira nodded her head, Hexa said, "Your son's father, isn't it?"

"Yes and there's my mom," she answered.

"Do you mind sharing?" Hexa asked.

"My son's father is acting like an ass within the same week that I learn that my mom has cancer again," she confessed.

There was a horrified gasp from Hexa. "I'm so sorry about your mom, Nass."

"It's just…hitting me, all at once just now." She looked at Hexa. "I'm sorry. I am ruining your good time."

Hexa snorted. "Girl please! I am still enjoying my night! And besides you need some kind of support right now… And I'm here… For you." She nodded her head. "If you want it."

A wave of warmness covered Nasira as her cheeks buzzed. She was flattered. She smiled. "Thanks, Hex."

"You're welcome…Nass." Both women laughed. Hexa walked up to Nasira and gave her comforting rub on her left shoulder. "Is your son's father here tonight?" she questioned. Nasira nodded her head. "Was it that Neanderthal-looking cat that was talking to you, when you were at the bar?"

Nasira shook her head. "I caught a vision of him in the veranda. With his new girlfriend," she confessed.

"Ugh," she grunted with disgust in her voice. She eyed Nasira. "Do you want me to go up there and whip that bitch's ass for you?"

Nasira broke out in a hoarse laugh. She shook her head.

"Okay. I was just checking. But the offer still stands," she informed the mother.

"No… But thank you," Nasira told her.

A few minutes and one makeup application later, Nasira exited the bathroom with Hexa in tow. As they stepped in the small hallway, her eyes scanned the occupants and they came across the figure that belonged to a familiar person. The brawny man, dressed in all-black, was standing in front of a cigarette dispensing machine. He was in the process of buying a pack of cigarettes. 'This fool…' her brain hissed. She crept up behind him and then slapped the back of his head. "Rogue!" she screamed into his broad back. His body did a jerk and then quickly straightened. "I thought you quit smoking!"

"Nassy?!" she heard her brother shriek. He proceeded to spin around to face his sister. "What-in the-hell are you doing here?! I thou…" The statement died on his tongue, when his eyes landed on her. In particular, when his eyes landed on the outfit that she was wearing. His orbs bulged as the mortification crept onto his handsome face. A blood-curdling, slightly feminine-sounding shriek fell from his lips. He violently slapped his left hand over his eyes. Then he removed his hand, a few seconds later. "NASIRA! WHAT…?! HOW IN THE…?! I… I… I…" He began to stammer over his words.

For the older, barely-dressed sibling, this moment was the absolute and perfect pick-me-upper. She laughed as she took in his display of being flummoxed. Her shoulders provided a shimmy, making her bosom quiver to an unheard of melody.

"Aaaahhhh!" he shrieked once more. His hand covered his eyes. "Stop that!"

'No!' she silently giggled.

"What are you doing here?! I thought you hated clubs!" he claimed.

"I've never been to one, so I couldn't have said that to you!" she informed him.

"What are you _even wearing_?!"

"A _dress_!" she told him.

"No, it's not! It's…just a piece of fabric!" he shrieked.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Rogue, can you please act like the twenty-one year old man that you are?!"

"I am!" he protested.

She took in his current status and then laughed. Here was this brawny and physically-imposing guy, with his hand covering his eyes. He reminded his sister of when he was a little boy and he used to spot their parents kissing. He used to cover his eyes in reaction.

It was during her laughter fit, she accidentally spotted Hexa in the midst of tightening up the knot on her midriff top. The diminutive redhead would occasionally glimpse at the six-foot-four inch man-child.

'Mmmm,' her brain hummed. An idea formed. She turned her attention back to her brother. "Rogue!" She jabbed his chest. "Rogue!" She stuck him again. "Rogue, quit acting like a baby, so I can introduce you to my friend!"

Rogue grumbled and then sighed. With the same demeanor of a recently-scolded but defiant child, he removed his hand from off of his face. He blinked his eyes for a few times before he eyed his sister's face. He gave her a brief glimpse before his eyes rolled in their sockets to her left side, to stare at Hexa. His brown eyes bulged and then glimpsed at Nasira again. Then, his wide eyes focused on Hexa again. A toothy smile grew on his face.

'I am going to assume that feeling of attraction is mutual,' she concluded. She managed to gather Hexa's focus, into her manicured hands and she began to make the formal introductions. She glanced at her friend. "Hexa… This is my brother, Rogue…" Her right hand gestured towards the man that stood in front of her. "…Rogue…" She glimpsed at her brother. "…this is—Ahhh!"

She ended up abruptly yelping into the air after being pushed off to the side, by her brother. Fortunately for her, the shove did not cause her to fall onto the floor. She made clumsily, off-balance steps to the right. After she regained her balance, she glared over at the scene. Rogue was standing in close proximity of the demure-looking Hexa. He held a smirk on his handsome face while his thick arms were folded across his broad chest. Meanwhile she was standing with her hands holding onto her round hips. A toothy smile was etched onto her face. It appeared to Nasira that there was a slow-burning chemistry building between the two. Her brother was putting his best work into his flirting while Hexa was smitten.

"It looks like my work is done… Even before I could really start up," she said to herself.

Rogue did manage to put his flirting on hold long enough to invite both women into the VIP section, where he was renting out a booth. Hexa eagerly accepted his invitation while Nasira just simply nodded. She was eager to finally sit down and rest her feet. Her excitement waned, however, when she learned that Rogue's rented booth was in the first veranda. It was the same veranda in which Eric and Anissa was lounging inside. There was a strong chance that she would have an interaction, whether if it's a passing glance or a statement. A strong sense of trepidation tickled at her belly, with that knowledge.

'Will he say anything? How will he act towards me? He'll probably ignore me and continue to act like he's a loving-monogamous boyfriend! I should—

"ALRIGHT, YOU PERVERTED FUCKS…" Rogue announced to the small gathering that sat in the very first booth of the VIP area. "…KEEP YOUR EYES OFF OF MY SISTER!" he demanded from his friends.

Nasira's cheeks buzzed with embarrassment from her brother's brazen display. In retaliation, she slapped his right bicep with her purse. "Rogue!" she shouted, in anger, at her brother. She stepped from behind him and stood next to him. Her eyes performed a quick assessment of the scene before her. The booth was filled with eight people: two women and six men. The women were coupled up with two of the men. The other males were eyeing Nasira and Hexa with lust in their orbs. She held a tight-lipped smile and she waved. "Hi!"

Some of the booth's occupants gave her a simple wave while the others responded with a head nod.

Nasira, her brother and Hexa soon joined the relaxing party at their table. She sat on one end of the bench while Rogue and Hexa sat close together on the other end. The older sister eyed the two. Both of them were slightly facing each other. Her brother was speaking into the other woman's ear and she enjoying whatever he was saying. She was smiling and occasionally laughed. Her hand rested on Rogue's left knee and her legs were crossed, in his direction. There was a slow-burning indeed.

*~oMLo~*

Nasira eyed the screen again. 'Four thirty-six.' She placed the phone back into her clutch purse.

Close to three hours passed and Nasira was ready to make her exit out of Club Inferno, as well as, from The Pit. The allure that came along with the need to have her first club experience, had waned. It disappeared along with the buzz that she received from those drinks. In its place, she felt the sensations of being extremely sleepy and hungry. She was running on just fumes. She didn't have her full eight hours of sleep and the last meal she ate was during her lunch period. At that moment, her eyelids were sore and they felt as if they were swollen. Her stomach kept reminding her of its displeasure of being starved.

'I should go,' she reminded herself. 'Why am I sitting here?' Then she received one reminder.

There was an uproar of raucous laughter. It came from another booth. She knew where it was coming from. Her head did a gradual turn to the side, revealing her profile. She looked over her left shoulder at the fun and festive scene that was unfolding behind her. She captured the sight of five Dauntless men and six women enjoying themselves. They were all laughing. She tried to keep her focus from off of the man that sat on an end of the booth. The end of the booth that allowed the leader to view her seating arrangement. There was a niggling notion that his spot was chosen for a reason. She turned her attention back to the almost-empty booth that she was resting in. She occupied the section along with an unconscious friend of Rogue's, who was inebriated. Everyone else either left or were exploring other parts of the nightclub. She knew that the two couples left while the single men had gone on a 'Pussy Patrol', as one of Rogue's friends callously called it. Meanwhile, both Rogue and Hexa had gone to the dancefloor to further enjoy themselves.

'Well, I can't just sit here!' she told herself.

With a brazen huff, she slipped from out of the booth and she strolled over to the veranda's railing. She could've sworn that she felt a gaze's heat on her, as she traveled over. Her fingers sought after the metal pole of the railing, curling around the steel. She peered over the railing and at the festive scenarios that were occurring below. She eyed the thick layers of people as they practically huddled around the bar. From her perch, she witnessed the patrons' interactions with each other. She watched people drink in celebration of the good times and drink in order to forget the bad times. She eyed women flirt with men while they were supplied with beverages. Soon, her eyes led her away from the illuminated watering hole and took her to the crowded dance floor. She viewed the obscured entertainment that was unfolding before her. The flashing, multi-colored lights splashed all over them. She watched bodies writhe together, in union with the melody of the music. Some dancing couples were in sync with each other while others awkwardly tried to fit together.

Under the clearest of lights, she was able to make out both Rogue and Hexa, as they danced. She found them near the center of the dancefloor. They were dancing in sync with one another as the fronts of their bodies were pressed against each other. The dancing couple's foreheads were pressed against each other as they danced.

'Lillian Gilliam.'

She erupted in giggles all of a sudden, as she recalled her brother's excitement about meeting Hexa. Unbeknownst to her, Hexa was a transfer from Candor, whose old name used to be 'Lillian Gilliam'. Her brother recognized her immediately, after all, he had spent his adolescent years with a huge crush on her.

"Long time…No see, Nassy!" she heard from behind her.

Nasira stopped laughing as soon as she heard the fourth syllable from that statement. She recognized that voice, somewhat. She quickly turned around to face the person. Her sight landed on a male faction member. She didn't recognize him. He was the same height as she. He wore a pair of relaxed-fit jeans and a fitted short-sleeved shirt. A maroon-colored cardigan was draped over his left forearm. His face did not own any piercings or tattoos, unlike most of the men that were parading around. A pair of thick-rimmed, plastic eyeglasses were perched on the bridge of his nose. The apparel drew attention to his sincere, cobalt-blue eyes. She sensed there was no 'alpha male-bravado' about him.

Her brow furrowed. "Um…hello?" she murmured as she waved her hand. She didn't know this guy, but her instinct told her that she did know him. When she saw him snicker into his hand and felt his mild form of embarrassment, she was correct.

"Please don't tell me that you've forgotten about me! I've only been gone from civilization for five years!" the guy teased. He pressed his hand to his chest. He laughed. "After all of those years of having sleep-overs with your brother in your home, when we were growing up!"

The creases in her brow deepened. 'Wait a minute… The only person that would come to my house, when we were kids…' Enlightenment seeped into her awareness. 'BARNABAS LUCKETT!' Her eyes brightened. She had taken a few steps towards him. "Barnabas?!" she said to him with a tilt of her head. She prayed that she was correct.

His smile grown brighter. He did a bashful glimpse down to the floor before he returned his stare towards her. "How have you been, Nassy?"

Her eyes widened and a smile formed. "Barney!" she happily shrieked. She opened her arms and he strolled into her embrace. "How-in the-hell have you been, honey?!" she said into his right ear.

She heard Rogue's longtime friend laughed. "I have been doing very well!"

She gripped his biceps as she pulled away from him. "Let me take a look at you!" She quickly observed him before drawing him into her embrace again. "You look _ssssoooo_ different! You've grown up on me!"

"Well… _So did you!_ " he pointed out. Once they departed from each other, he said, "When Rogue told me that you were up here, I didn't see you right away! I didn't recognize you!" His head performed a nod. "And now that I've seen you, I can see why he might've been freaked out," he quipped.

Nasira recalled her brother's initiate reaction to her presence. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Please don't pay that knuckle-head any mind!" she told him with a casual wave of her hand. She grabbed his hand and led him over to the booth. Both sat down and proceeded to chat, catching up with each other's lives.

"—been great! I am a part of the technical security crew by the wall! I mostly work in the north…"

Nasira felt her stomach clench with anxiety and anticipation.

"…east sector of the wall…"

She unleashed a very deep exhale while her stomach relaxed.

"…The job has its boring moments, like any other job does! It can become tense at times, especially during the moments where there's an U.O. on—

"What's an 'U.O.'?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" His fingers straightened up his glasses. "…It's means 'Unidentified object'. It's a common lingo that is used amongst us _wall people_. An unidentified object can be anything: a discarded plastic bag that managed to get stuck in the barbed wire or…uh…" He shrugged his shoulders. "…a bird carcass. It's my job to go and investigate what that U.O. is. It's an intense job because there's always a thought in the back of my mind that says, 'Could this be the day?' I try not to go there while I am working…"

"But it's…"

"…there!" Both pairs of mouths say at the same time.

"So…" Nasira playfully slapped at the hand that was resting on the table. "…Mister Luckett, is there anyone special in your life, as of this moment?!"

Barnabas' lips formed a sly grin. "Yes, there is a special lady," she answered with a head nod.

"Oh yeah?" she said with a smile. "How long have y'all two been dating?"

"Well, we've dated for two years and we've been _married_ for four years," he reported to her.

Her eyes grew wide and brighter. A toothy smile etched itself onto her face. She slapped his hand once more. "GET. OUT. OF. HERE! YOU'RE MARRIED?!"

Barnabas just smiled and nodded his head.

"You're married?! My little Barney Luckett is married?! My… Oh, my God! Barnabas!" she shrieked.

He laughed at her reaction. "Would you like to see a pic—?

"Yes! Yes! I want to see the woman who is responsible for taking my Barney away from me!" she jested.

She watched Barnabas retrieve his cell phone from the holder that was clipped to his jeans' waistband. His fingers touched the phone's screen a few times before he held his device out, for Nasira to peer into. She stared at a professional portrait shot of a woman with naturally pale skin and long ruby-red colored hair. Mrs. Barnabas Luckett held a smile on her face as she stared into the camera's lens. Nasira smiled and glanced at Barnabas. "She's very pretty!" she told him.

"If she heard you say that, she would've denied it about six times already!" he told her as he returned his phone back into the holder.

Nasira giggled. "What's her name?!"

"Her name is Micah!"

"Even her name is pretty!" Both of them chuckled. "Did she come with you tonight?!"

Barnabas shook his head. "No! She's over at my grandmother's house, resting! We had a long drive yesterday!" Nasira nodded her head, understanding how long that drive could've been. "Speaking of grandmothers…" He leaned back in his seat and spread his arms along the length of the back. "…I heard that you made your mother into one, last year! Congratulations!"

An image of Lucien's face popped up in her mind and it caused her to feel giddy. She giggled and then nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm a mom! I had my son last year! He's about to turn one, next month!"

"Oh cool!" he told her. "Do you have a—

"A picture?!" She nodded her head and proceeded to produce her cell phone from her clutch purse. Her fingers skillfully opened up the image gallery app in her phone and she picked a photo of her toddler, for Barnabas to view. "Here he is! Here's my Lukie!" she announced as she passed her phone. She watched her brother's friend stare at the photo.

"He's gonna be a heartbreaker when he grows up! Are you ready for that one, mama?!" he joked.

Nasira scoffed. "No! No! No!" She listened to his cackles while watching him laugh.

"Why not?!" he laughed.

"Because, he's my—

 **"** **HEY!"**

The proud mama flinched in her seat when she heard the booming voice. It scared her out of the jovial mood that she was in. Her eyes took in Barnabas, who was staring at something that was behind her.

 **"** **WHAT-THE-FUCK…?"**

Nasira turned her head and glanced over her left shoulder. With her limited viewing, she was able to spot a large black figure come closer to their location.

 **"…** **DO YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE DOING?!"**

The voice was full of hostility, anger and passion. She decided to turn her body around to become a full spectator. Her eyes caught the vision of a tall, Dauntless brute that was storming over to where they were sitting. 'Oh…shit!' her brain murmured as it finally caught on.

 **"** **HEY ASSHOLE! ARE YOU TRYING TO FUCK MY GIRLFRIEND?!"** the behemoth in black screamed into their direction.

"Nassy, is this guy your son's father?!" she heard Barnabas ask her. As an answer, she slowly shook her head. A second later, she heard an "Alright, then". A few seconds later, she heard movement come from the other side of the table. "Nassy, I need for you to hold onto my phone and glasses for a minute! I also need for you to get security as well!" he calmly instructed.

Within a split second, she remembered information about the man who was sitting across from her. 'Oh…no… no-no-no-no-no-no-No-No-No…NO-NO-NO-NO!' She turned away from the angry man who was about thirty feet away from where she was sitting, to look at the unassuming, but very dangerous man that was now standing up. "Barney…No!" she said to him.

He eyed her with a glare that didn't naturally belong to him. The youthfulness and the joyfulness that lived in those orbs were now gone. He was now someone else. She was sure that this was the part of Barnabas' character that her brother told her about, when he was still an initiate. The personality trait that helped him become the 'number one' ranked initiate in his class.

 **"** **YOU'RE TRYING TO STICK YOUR** ** _DICK_** **IN MY GIRLFRIEND, YOU FUCK!"**

She stared back into the direction of the mysterious and angry guy. He was still screaming out accusations towards Barnabas. He was completely unaware that he was conjuring a demon.

There was movement trapped in her peripheral view. From the half of a millisecond feature, her brain determined that the movement had come from a large, black object. Fearing that the object was another man, Nasira turned her full attention to it. Meanwhile her right hand crawled across the table top's surface for an object that could've been use as a weapon.

Once she quickly assessed the scene, she figured out the origin behind the movement. Her hand stopped its search. Approximately thirty-seven feet away, someone in Eric's assigned booth had risen from his seat and decided to sit on the back of the padded seat. The person looked familiar to Nasira, but in a way that she knew that she didn't know him very well. She observed the look on his face. His dark-colored eyes dazzled and his face was glowing with excitement. He was sitting at an elevated angle as if he wanted to get a better viewing.

'…A better view…'

Her eyes peeled away from the man and she focused her attention on the booth's other inhabitants. The mysterious yet somewhat familiar guy wasn't the only person who changed their seating arrangements. She found a woman kneeling on the padded bench of the booth. Her head, neck and shoulders were visible to Nasira's viewing. All nine occupants were peering over in Barnabas' and her direction. Her vision caught a few of them with their phones held high in the air, with the phones' cameras pointing towards her. Each individual shared the same expression on their faces: excitement and anticipation for some action. Including, their very own Dauntless faction leader.

'…Eric,' her brain murmured.

Nasira observed the slight smirk that covered his pink lips and the luster of anticipation coming off of his face's skin. There was a wooden toothpick being perched in between his lips and his fingers kept playing with it. His blue eyes were focused on his friend. She tore her full attention away from Eric and focused on the entire setting.

Without warning, her mind had shown her an image of milk-covered hands and the front of her school uniform covered in the liquid.

 _"_ _HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA..."_ A small group of kids, in their own uniforms, were voraciously cackling and pointing at her, from their own lunch table.

Even though the laughter was just a figment of her imagination, a snippet from a childhood memory, it felt real. She felt as if _there were_ people pointing and laughing at her. Just like when she was an eight-year old child and was subjected to having a carton of milk poured over her head.

'…That's…Humiliation…He wants…To…Humiliate Me…Tonight. He wants to be…' A flash of a handsome, chiseled face with bright blue eyes and blond tendrils framing his face. '…Prairie…'

Her mind flashed an image of her ex-boyfriend's face. Another series of snapshots flashed before her eyes as she recalled another past experience with degradation. This time, it was the memory of her ex, as he recited all of her 'useless ways' while she was surrounded by stuffed garbage bags, in the corridor of her old residence.

 ** _"_** ** _NASSY!"_**

It was too late. Her anger managed to convince it's owner to leap out of her seat and charge into the direction of Eric's booth. She didn't feel the brush of Barnabas's hand as he attempted to grab onto her. She didn't acknowledge the presence of the muscle-bound bully that was making his way to visit her table. She wasn't aware that her shoe-clad feet had led her to the other side of the veranda, where Eric and his friends were sitting. She didn't recognize the actions of their faction leader standing up and waiting by his booth. It wasn't until after her right hand connected to his left cheek in the form of a hard slap, was when she accepted all of her previous actions.

 ** _"_** ** _OHHHH… DID YOU JUST SEEN THAT SHIT?!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _OH…DAMN!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _GOT-DAMN, E.! YOU WERE JUST…"_**

The shouting and the jeering continued. For Nasira, she didn't care for the spectators' opinions and inputs. She also didn't care for the thunderous glowering that the blue-eyed bastard was handing her.

Her left index finger pointed at his face. **"** **YOU, GOT-DAMNED BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU…"**

Eric made a move to snatch up her left wrist into his right hand. Nasira managed to move her appendage from out of his grasp.

 **"…** **NO-NO-NO…"**

With each enunciation of the word 'no' she moved her hand away from his paw's attempted grabs.

"… **NO-NO-NO-NO-NO-NO-NO—**

Her right hand connected to his left cheek again. **"** **NO!"** she screamed at him. Her yell swallowed up the sounds of his friends' guffaws and taunts. She watched his feet led the rest of his body away from her. She saw his jaw clench and then release while a glint flew across his eyes. She felt his rage radiate off of him. A lesser person would've apologized immediately. **_"_** ** _YOU'RE A GOT-DAMNED BASTARD FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO ME!"_** She screamed at him, with her finger pointed to him. She noticed his eyes focused on her. **"** **YOU WANT TO HUMILIATE ME, HUH?!"** She had taken a few steps into his personal space. Her left hand collided with the right side of his face and shove his head back. He had taken a few steps backwards. **"** **YOU WANT TO HUMILIATE ME, HUH?! IS THIS** … **"** She stormed into his personal space again. **"…** **WHY YOU'RE SENDING YOUR DICK-HEAD FRIENDS AROUND ME?! HUH?!"** She had taken her left pointer finger and jabbed at his chest. **"…** **HUH?!"** She stabbed at his chest again. **"…** **HUH?! ANSWER ME, GOT-DAMN IT!"** Then she used all of her strength and rage to push at his broad chest. **"** **ANSWER ME!"** She watched him take a few stumbling steps backwards. **"** **ANSWER…"**

"Whoa-whoa-whoa…" someone from his party cooed.

"Is this bitch insane?!" said another.

"Somebody needs to get her…" had come from a third person.

 **"…** **ME!"** Nasira ran up to him and pushed at his chest again.

"Yeah, somebody needs to…" another person agreed.

"Hey dude, you might want to get your date before Leader Coulter throws her over the railing!"

 **"** **NASSY!"**

She handed Eric another harsh reminder of her rage. With this particular slap, the metal band of a ring caught his skin and caused a nick to develop. She managed to get in one more strike against him before she was subdued by a pair of muscled arms. The person picked her off of the ground. She struggled against the firm hold. She kept her eyes on their faction leader.

 **"** **HOW DARE YOU TRY TO HUMILIATE ME, YOU PIECE OF SHIT?! HOW DARE YOU** ** _EVEN THINK_** **OF DOING IT,"** she screamed at the Dauntless leader as she was restrained. " **…** **WHILE YOU'RE UP HERE WITH YOUR FRIENDS TRYING TO LAUGH AT ME, THE WHOLE-FUCKING-CLUB IS LAUGHING AT YOU!"** She noticed his eyes develop a weird glaze. She pressed on. **"** **YOUR WHORE IS DOWNSTAIRS BEING SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN TWO GUYS ON THE DANCEFLOOR LIKE SHE IS SOME FUCKING MEAT-TRAP, AS I SPEAK! BUT... _NNNNOOOOOOOO!_ YOU'RE UP HERE TRYING TO LOOK LIKE YOU'RE A BIG-WIG! TRYING TO IMPRESS YOUR GOT-DAMNED FRIENDS!"**

As she dropped this latest bomb on her son's father, she recalled the moment when she spotted Anissa on the dancefloor. She had just finished observing the folks who were surrounding the bar and she was about to focus on the floor's occupants. Her vision landed on a familiar person as she danced on the boundary that was in between the dancefloor and the bar's vicinity. She was dancing with two men. Her hands kept caressing her own womanly body or each man's jaw. At first Nasira believed that her mind was playing tricks on her eyes. She assumed that it was another woman, who happened to be wearing a similar dress to Anissa's off-shoulder one. She believed that the young doctor wouldn't be so careless. She kept her gaze on the woman. She waited until that white, clear light flashed across the dancefloor. With its help, she knew that she would be able to tell. The clear, white flash struck the dancefloor during a catchy-sounding chorus, a few minutes later. It turned out that Anissa could've been stupid, after all.

Nasira noticed the mild look of disbelief written on Eric's face. **"** **WHAT? YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME?! WELL, CHECK FOR YOURSELF, JACKASS! OR BETTER YET, HAVE ONE OF YOUR FUCKING FRIENDS DO IT!"**

Before anybody could do or say anything, one of the booth's inhabitants excitedly slid out of the seat. He ran in between Nasira and Eric, then across the veranda and to railing. He almost managed to toss himself overboard, when he arrived to the railing because he was so eager to observe the dancefloor. Nasira paid attention to the eager man's neck and head movements. His head subtly moved as his eyes tried to properly scan the dimly-lit environment. Thirty seconds into his search, he was joined by another one of the Dauntless leader's friends, another man. Unlike his mate, his reconnaissance effort was shortly-lived. He immediately spotted the doctor. Nasira watched him point towards the dancefloor. His friend's eyes drifted off into that direction. He stared for a second before glancing over his left shoulder, at Eric.

 ** _"_** ** _ERRRRRR-RIC!"_** The first observer blatantly screamed at the top of his lungs.

The call caused the rest of the booth's occupants to have their excitement bubble over. They all exited the semi-circular shaped structure and they ran over to the railing. Once again, the second observer pointed again and everyone's heads shifted into that direction. She turned away from the people who were excitedly peering to stare at the man, who managed to capture her heart from over the passing weeks. He was staring at the back of the heads of everyone that was standing by the veranda's railing. She took note of the constant jaw twitching and his eyes' current state of being narrowed.

 ** _"_** ** _ERRRRRR-RIC! COME ON, MAN! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS SHIT!"_**

Nasira watched the faction's youngest leader take a pair of steps in the direction of the veranda. Once he came to a halt, he stood in his new spot for a few seconds. His fingers reached up to the crown of his head, to the spot that only had hair. He ran his fingers through the stylized hair, messing it up.

 ** _"_** ** _ERIC, MAN, GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND SEE THIS SHIT, MAN!"_**

The calling must've pulled him from out of his thoughts because he flinched and then walked straight over, Nasira figured. His tall, imposing body slipped in between the two bodies that belonged to the first and the second observer. The first observer pointed down to the dancefloor again.

 ** _"_** ** _YOU GOT TO HANDLE THIS, MAN!"_** The comment was made by the first observer as he stared at their leader, egging on the drama.

 ** _"_** ** _HOW DO YOU WANT TO HANDLE THIS, MAN?! YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE YOUR BACK!"_** The statement had come from the massively tall and muscular man that was about to attack Barnabas.

'Wait… If he is over there, then who is…?' She gazed down at the bared, toned arms that were restraining her. "Who is…?" She turned her attention to the face that was hovering behind her head. Her muscles relaxed when she recognized Rogue's friend. He was peering down at her.

"ARE YOU OKAY?!" screamed Barnabas, over the loud music. Once she nodded her head, he said to her, "I am going to let you go, okay?! Please don't start up again".

Nasira repetitively nodded her head. "Y-Yeah!" Seconds later, the thick bands of strength became slack around her arms and torso. But the arms remained around her, in the form of a lazy embrace. It was a welcoming act for her. She looked away from Barnabas just in the nick of time. Her eyes took in the vision of blurry, figures in black running past the both of them. Wind managed to pick up and strike her on the face as each individual ran pass. The men managed to leave their dates, the women who were still standing by the railing.

"Nassy… I think it's time to leave! Do you want to go home?!" she heard Barnabas asked her as she stared at the women who were watching the floor, a few seconds later.

She nodded her head once more.

"Alright, I'll—

A loud shriek managed to cut Barnabas's statement off. It didn't come from the female spectators by the balcony. They all had their hands covering their mouths and they shared the same stupefied expressions on their faces. She listened to another horrifying scream, which managed to tuck itself into the breaks of the 'eight-oh-eight' rhythmic counts that belonged the music.

"Nassy!" Then she suddenly felt a hand grip her right wrist. Her body subtly flinched while her awareness made everything appear sharper to her eyes' sight. She glanced over at Barnabas. She detected an expression of sympathy on his face. He subtly shook his head. "No!" he mouthed.

'What…?' Then she realized her snafu. She glanced at her feet and saw that her toes were pointed in the direction of the balcony. 'I was about to go over there. I—

The pulsating, ear-clogging music was abruptly ripped from the club's atmosphere. A pressure rapidly began to fill the small canals that were in her ears. Then a sharp, consisting ringing began. She stuck her fingers in her ears and tried to wrangle the sound out. Instead, the stubborn sound just dug further into her ears.

"AAH, WE NEED, LIKE, SECURITY TO COME TO THE DANCE FLOOR, RIGHT NOW?!" The statement spilled from the speakers and into the club. She assumed that it was the deejay's voice issuing out the order. "WE NEED SECURITY TO COME TO THE DANCE FLOOR, PLEASE!" Under his voice, there were a series of screams coming from the dancefloor below.

Barnabas tore her attention away from the unfolding scene by grabbing onto her wrist again. "Come on…" He gave the wrist a few tugs. "…Let's get the hell out of here before it becomes worse!"

'Yeah, he's right.' She nodded her head and then allowed her brother's friend to lead the way.

"WE NEED SECURITY TO THE DANCEFLOOR, PLEASE! THERE IS A FIGHT GOING ON!"

He managed to pluck up her purse as they walked pass their assigned table. The duo walked across the rest of the VIP's area and they reached the exit. They were stopped from leaving the premises by Rogue. He was ascending up the staircase just as they were about to descend.

"It's not a good time to be downstairs at the moment," warned Rogue. "We're gonna have to wait up here until security gets everything under control!" he informed the both of them.

"Rogue, where's Hex—

"I'm here!" Then the short woman popped out from behind Rogue's mass-taking frame.

"Are you guys alright?" Barnabas asked the both of them as they entered the VIP section.

"WE NEED…"

Rogue nodded as he walked pass their assigned table. He began to peruse the other unoccupied tables in the lounge section. Meanwhile, Hexa strolled over to their table. "We noticed a mob of guys running towards the dancefloor…" She sat down on the padded bench. "…We knew what was about to go down, so we decided to leave. Thank goodness that we did."

Rogue returned to their table, a minute later. He held an unopened, bottle of champagne in his left hand. All three people stared at him with perturbed expressions. A mask of disbelief and confusion covered his face. "What? It's not like they are going to use it any time soon. So we might as well enjoy it. After all, we're going to be up here for a while."

"SECURITY, PLEASE COME TO THE FUCKING DANCE FLOOR! A FUCKING BRAWL HAS BROKEN OUT AND THEY'RE RUINING MY SET!" The deejay yelled into his microphone.

Nasira glimpsed at Barnabas, who just simply shrugged his shoulders and then proceeded to have a seat in the booth.

"SECURITY, GET YOUR LAZY ASSES…"

Her feet followed the wordless command that her curiosity had called out. She ended up standing in front of the veranda. Her hands clutched onto the smooth, cold metal railing while her eyes peered down at the large floor. She took in the chaos that was continuously unfolding. There was an opening on the floor that kept moving amongst in the crowd. She noticed bystanders moving out of the way to avoid being sucked up into that whirlpool of violence. Suddenly, the flashing lights were cut off, causing the floor to be covered in pitch-black darkness. There were horrified screams. Four seconds later, the area was covered with the 'house lights' from the ceiling. Nasira had a better viewing of the somewhat brawl. It managed to travel to the center of the dancefloor, where it was surrounded by cheering spectators, who wanted to see the action. She noticed how some men allowed their female companions to sit on their broad shoulders, so they could watch too.

Nasira's sight landed on the unfolding violence that involved her son's father. She watched his right fist pound into the face of another man, who was laying prone on the floor. Eric straddled the man's arms and torso. His left hand was gripping his victim's neck. Her eyes couldn't take in anymore of the gruesome scene, when she felt her stomach violently convulsed. She took in the sights of the other fights that managed to splinter off from Eric's bout. His friends had their own hands full as they fought other male patrons. She assumed that their fights' opponents must've been friends of the poor unsuspecting schmucks who were dancing with Anissa.

"Speaking of that bitch…" she murmured as her sight pulled away from the fights. 'If I was her and I wanted to get out of dodge, then where would I go? Someplace safe. But, I will have access to be able to see my handiwork.' Her eyes automatically drifted over to the square-shaped structure. Her eyes searched through the thick layers of people. They were all peering over to the dancefloor, so it just made her search a little better. "Okay, where are you?" she murmured.

A condensed amount of heat and energy floated pass her back, along with the fragrance of jasmine as its companion.

"No-fucking-way," she muttered as her back straightened up. She turned her head slightly to the left and she peeped into the VIP section. She glowered at the smaller, curvy figure that continued to prance inside of the lounge room.

Anissa sauntered over to the table that she was assigned to, moments ago. The young doctor ignored the angry stares that the other women were doling out. It was as if they were invisible or incapable of ruffling up her feathers. A sly smile covered her pouty lips as she methodically filled up a champagne flute. Under the wordless and visual scrutiny from the other occupants, Anissa carried her glass over to the veranda's glass and metal railing. She became a spectator as she gingerly sipped at her champagne.

Nasira's angry dark brown eyes tore away from the manipulative instigator and she peered down on the floor below. Her vision took in the sight of a large group of bouncers that were barreling through the spacious club, to the scenes of where the violence were taking place. There were more shrieks and screams, but these spoke of being offended instead of being frightened. It had taken three bouncers to pry Eric from off of the semi-unconscious opponent. Once they were successful, he was flung as if he was a rag doll. His body performed a series of clumsily, chunky strides. He ended up colliding into a trio of male bystanders. They managed to help him up despite almost toppling over themselves. As a reward, they were almost victims of the faction leader's rage. He invaded all three men's personal bubbles, snarling and yelling. Meanwhile the men held up hands as a show of being harmless and non-threatening. Before anything could happen, a man ran up to Eric and led him away. It was the Drunkard, from earlier. She watched the two men walk briskly from the dancefloor. Eric kept his head straight-forward while his companion kept looking over his shoulder as they walked. Her eyes watched them travel to the other side of the club, to a pair of black doors that held an 'Exit' sign above it.

A booming wave of booing and jeering erupted throughout the cavernous room. Her eyes' attention were immediately drawn to the dancefloor. She learned that the patron's chorus of jeering occurred because the bouncers managed to curb down their sources of entertainment. The fights were halted by the squadron of brawny club employees and now they were all being escorted off of the dancefloor, and soon, out of the nightclub. A trio of bouncers were still standing in the center of the dancefloor. They were surrounding the body that lain on the floor. One bouncer was speaking into a black walkie-talkie while casting a glare at the now-unconscious man. The other two were attempting acts to keep him awake.

'Oh my God,' she silently murmured as she watched. 'Please be alright,' she quietly prayed. In her subconscious, she also prayed for about Eric.

The lights in the nightclub became brighter. There were a song of murmurs and sounds of confusion amongst the crowd. They received their answer, a few seconds later.

" _DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES_ , THIS FUNCTION IS NOW OVER!" was announced from the speakers. Nasira heard the anger and the sense of disappointment in the deejay's voice. There was a tidal wave of jeers and other sounds of disappointment, in response. "THE PROMOTERS AND STAFF FROM CLUB INFERNO WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE! PLEASE USE ALL OF OUR EXITS TO LEAVE THE CLUB!"

"Judging from all of the booing…"

Nasira turned away from the view of the floor and stared into the veranda. She gazed at her brother, Rogue. He was relaxing in the booth with Hexa sitting in close proximity. In his left hand, he held onto the stem of a champagne flute. He glimpsed at Barnabas and his sister.

"…we can leave sooner than expected!" he said with a smile on his face.

"Give it a few minutes! There's about two-hundred people downstairs!" Barnabas pointed out as he eyed his phone's screen. He looked up from the screen and glanced at the siblings and Hexa. "I just told my wife that a fight has broken out and she texted me that it is a daily thing here!"

Rogue cackled. He raised his glass in the air. "Here's to Club Inferno! May it always stay classy! Cheers!"

*~oMLo~*

The trio was permitted to occupy the secluded premises for another thirty minutes, before they were notified by a club employee to vacate the club's territory. By then, they were able to wake Rogue's intoxicated friend from his alcohol-induced slumber. The pair of women led the way out of the VIP section and out of the nightclub. The three men followed their paths while Barnabas and Rogue helped the third man as he stumbled his way. Once outside, the five club patrons managed to meet up with Rogue's other friends. The men were standing in front of a livery cab kiosk that was planted across from the alley that housed the club. As soon as they reached over there, Barnabas and Rogue happily handed the responsibility of caring for the drunken man to his roommate. The next several minutes were filled with chatting, news of upcoming outings, promises to communicate later and then with farewells.

A few minutes after Rogue's friends left, Nasira made her own attempt at freeing herself from Barnabas, Hexa and Rogue's company. She was extremely tired and she was starving. Plus, she was starting to fill claustrophobic from being housed in this underground lair. Right now, all she wanted to do was pry these gladiator heels from off of her feet, get out of The Pit, go home, eat a sandwich and take a shower before going to bed. She knew that dawn had already approached and the kids would've been up, by the time she arrived home.

'Hopefully, Sophie can stay a few more hours, so I can catch a nap or something!' She glanced into her purse and found the key to her Jeep Wrangler. She pulled the item out and clutched onto it. She looked over to the trio of people. "Hey guys, I'm heading out now!" She made a few steps away from them. She waved her right hand. "I'll text y'all as soon as…"

Rogue had taken a few steps towards her. "Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!" He approached her.

"…I get home. I—

"You're not leaving without us," her brother informed her.

Her face grimaced. "What? Are you serious? Rogue…" She shook her head. "…it's almost seven o'clock right…"

"I don't care if it's high-noon right now…"

Barnabas and Hexa approached. "He's right, Nassy," Barnabas pointed out. "…There are some dudes out there right now who's all hopped-up off of _God knows what_ …"

"Yeah…" Hexa murmured, nodding her head. "…He's right, you know."

"…The sun is practically out right now," she told them all. "I'll be safe walking to my car."

"And what about traveling _from here to the exit out of The Pit_?" her brother pointed out. He crossed his arms over his massive chest. "You know there's a lot of dark alleyways and niches in here. Especially inside of the Chasm. So… No, you're not leaving here by yourself."

Nasira eyed Hexa, the woman who stood beside her brother. Her right hand gestured towards her. "What about her? She's not chopped liver standing over here."

"What about _her_?" Rogue said to his older sister with a smug smirk on his lips.

"Y'all two know that the ' _her'_ is standing right here?" Hexa pointed out as she glimpsed at the siblings.

"She'll need an escort home, you know. After all, she is a little damsel-in-distress too, you know," Nasira pointed out, making her sarcasm and displeasure known.

"Oh," Rogue gasped. A smile had replaced the smirk. "She's getting an escort home, but it ain't her home that we'll be going to," he explained to his sister.

A subtle grimace graced Nasira's face. She eyed the both of them. "Eww," she mewled.

"Now, you know how I feel, _Hot Totty_ ," he pointed out.

"So, where did you park your car, Nassy?" Barnabas asked.

"It's in my usual spot where I park my car when I go to work, which is a parking garage on Grand Street," she informed him.

"Okay, cool. I am parked in the garage on Jackson—

Rogue looked at his friend. "I am parked in the same garage as well. So, we'll walk you to your jeep on Grand and then double-back to Jackson."

"Good," Hexa commented.

"Great," murmured Barnabas.

Nasira eyed the trio and rolled her eyes. "Fine," she huffed. She began walking. "Let's go." She walked ahead of the trio and didn't bother to slow her pace, so they could catch up. Right now, the arches in her feet wanted freedom from the shoes that they began to burn. The sooner she reached the public parking garage, the quicker she was able to pry these shoes off. Thirty-seven minutes later, they reached the exit of the Training Facility and was wrapped up with nature's offering. She huffed, in relief.

Fourteen minutes into their voyage, she heard Rogue deliver an order. "Gimme your keys."

She paused and turned slightly to face the approaching trio. "What? Why?"

"You heard me, Nassy. Give me your keys to your jeep," he ordered again.

"No." She clutched the key tighter. "Why do you want my key?"

"You cannot drive in your condition," he explained.

"What condition?" she asked, with a look of confusion.

"Nass, you're still feeling that buzz from those drinks," Hexa told her.

Nasira scoffed and then shook her head. "No, I'm not. I had those drinks _hours_ ago! I'm fine!"

"Babe, no you're not," her brother pointed out. "We were watching you walk…And you were staggering and swaying along the way…You didn't feel that newspaper kiosk-thing hitting you on your leg, just a minutes ago?"

'I struck a newspaper…kiosk thing?!' An indignant squeak fell from Nasira's lips. "No, I wasn't!"

"Nassy, you're doing it _now_ ," Barnabas pointed out to her.

"No, I'm not," she counterpointed.

Rogue displayed his opened palm. "Nassy, give me your keys please."

"No, I'm fine," she said, openly being defiant.

"Alright… _You're fine_. But can you just give me your fucking key, in order to make this level of paranoia in me, disappear. Alright?!" her brother told her. She heard the growing agitation in his voice, which was a feat that never occurred between the two of them.

She was about to openly defy her brother again, when she was reminded of a very morbid notion. ' _Dad_ died in an _automobile accident_ , dum-dum. Why do you think he is trying to get the car keys away from you?'

"Just give me your keys and I'll make sure that you'll get them later on today…" Rogue notified her. All three people heard Hexa clear her throat while glancing down at the floor. "…Alright, make it tonight…" She cleared her throat again. Rogue glanced down at her. "Woman, just _how much loving_ do you need?"

Hexa smiled at him and pointed over to Nasira. "Your sister, darling. Handle that problem first," she said softly.

"Oh." He glanced at his sister's face. "Mind your business," he told her.

"Oh, I plan on to," she responded. She gave him a stoic gaze as she handed her Jeep Wrangler's key over to him.

The abnormally large key was subjected to a glare from Rogue before he took it into his possession. He shoved the key into his jeans' pocket. His sister saw the immense gratitude in his amber-colored eyes.

The energy in his eyes made her feel her throat clench.

"After I knock _this one_ …" He wrapped his thick right arm around Hexa. "…out and place her in a coma…"

Nasira face formed a mask of mortification while Hexa giggled and slapped his chest.

"…I will drive your jeep back to your place," he informed her.

"I need to get away from you two before you guys make me sick," Nasira told the both of them. She resumed walking.

"Me too," she heard Barnabas murmured.

Within a few minutes, the small group arrived to the 24-hour, six tiered parking garage on Jackson Avenue. They walked to the second level of the parking lot before splitting up. Rogue managed to find a spot in the second tier to park his truck. Hexa and Nasira gave each other deep embraces and whispered promises of re-connecting within the following week. Barnabas and Rogue did something similar. Then with a simple wave and a 'See you later', they split up.

"So, how are you feeling?" asked Barnabas as they traveled.

She made a glance at him. "Compared to how I felt earlier? I feel a whole lot better. My stomach is not bothering me as much. I am starving and I am sleepy."

"Now you see why we were concerned for you?" he told her as they rounded a corner that turned into the fourth level. "You're lacking sleep and you're swimming in alcohol."

"Yeah…I know," she told him. "By the way, I was splashed tonight by someone else's drink. It's why I stink of liquor."

"Who splashed you with alcohol? Was it some angry girl that saw her man flirting with you?" he teased.

Nasira chuckled. "No, it was… It was a prank. A guy was flirting with me while I was standing at the bar, when another threw a drink on him. It turned out that the drink-thrower was a friend of…My ex," she informed him.

"Oh… _Oohhh_ ," Barnabas groaned as he reached enlightenment. A minute of silence sailed by as they walked. "So…Was…Faction Leader Coulter…The ex-boyfriend?"

Nasira sighed. "Yes."

"Is he your son's father?" Barnabas asked.

"Yes. Yes, he is," she told him.

A few seconds later, there was an "Mmm".

She glanced at him. "Mmm, what?"

"Nothing much. It just makes sense to me now as to why I almost had to whip some strange guy's ass," he told her. He glanced at her. "Either he is still in love with you and is trying to figure out a way to win back your heart. Or, he is some asshole that wants to keep you all to himself and make sure no other man comes near."

She unleashed a sardonic grin. "If I had to pick, with Eric, it's more likely 'choice number two'. I'm starting to believe that that man doesn't know how to love women. I don't think he even loves his girlfriend," she told Barnabas.

"He might. Maybe he just doesn't know how to show his love towards his loved one, without it feeling weird for him."

The two proceeded to walk the rest of the fourth level and the fifth level in silence. As they turned onto the sixth level, they were greeted with the echoed and muffled sounds of harsh dialogue. Both Barnabas and Nasira did not think much of it, ever since there were plenty of couples who argued in public settings. She followed Rogue's friend as he led around the large cement-aligned structure. As they walked, the voices began to become louder and more coherent to her understanding.

 ** _"_** ** _YOU HAVE TO FUCKING CALM DOWN!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _YOU CAN'T FUCKING LOSE IT ANYMORE, MAN!"_**

 _ **"OH LEAVE HIM ALONE! THOSE FUCKS DESERVED THOSE ASS-WHIPPINGS!"**_

Nasira's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and dread, at the sight that lain before her, some thirty-odd feet away. Her feet led the rest of her body to a thick cement pillar. She hid behind it. Her head peeked over the curve.

 **"—** **FUCK IS SHE RIGHT NOW?!"**

"Eric, man, you need to calm-the-hell down right now. She doesn't need to see you like this, man!"

Eric stopped his maddening pace and he strolled up to his friend, The Drunkard. He held a finger out. "Stop telling me… TO CALM-THE FUCK-DOWN!" His unleashed a growl. Then resumed pacing across the stained asphalt again.

The Drunkard threw his hands up in the air, out of frustration. "Fine…" he snarled as he eyed his friend. "…Go ahead and lose your shit, man! You know that that she will be alright! Anissa is a smart woman and she's Dauntless—

"Triton…" another one of Eric's companions said softly. He was leaning up against the railing that overlooked the neighborhood. "…Just let him go through… whatever _this_ is, man."

Thirty-plus feet from where she stood, Eric frantically paced against the filthy asphalt. He was surrounded by his five friends, as they watched their friend and faction leader act belligerently. As he paced, his kept running his fingers through his hair. Her eyes focused on Eric's face. There was a troublesome expression on his usual handsome and stoic face. She spotted the fiery energy of anger in his bluish-gray orbs and another energy there. On his right cheek, there was a thin red line with a welt.

"Nassy?" It was Barnabas. His voice no higher than a whisper. She glanced over to Barnabas. He was standing next to her. His head shook slightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that they've parked their cars so close to mine. If I would've—

She awarded him with a reassuring smile. "Now, how would you known that Eric would've parked here?"

He smiled. "True."

She turned back in time to see the faction leader attempt to walk his way out of the garage. Immediately he was attacked with the sounds of men disagreeing with his actions and then boxing him in an impromptu cage, by using their bodies as barricades.

"Where is your car?" she asked him as she continued to stare at the scene.

Barnabas performed a curt chortle. "It's the black Infiniti that is parked right across from them. If we approach my car, they will definitely see us."

"You're right," she breathed.

"I don't want _him_ to see you." He exhaled. "Do you want to wait for me outside? I'll fetch my car and I will meet you on the Jackson Avenue's entrance. Alright?"

'Sounds like a plan.' She glimpsed at Barnabas. She nodded her head. 'You don't have to tell me twice.' She didn't bother to give Barnabas another glimpse. She peeled her frame from off of the pillar and she made quick steps down the sloping, asphalt roadway. She landed on the fifth level again and she began a trot. The wind managed to kick up and tuck itself underneath her black dress, making the light fabric to dance in the wind. Even though she was removing herself from the 'danger zone', her body thought otherwise. Her stomach roiled uncontrollably while adrenaline pulsed through her veins. 'Come on, B. You gotta get into your car right about now.' Her feet landed on the fourth tier of the parking garage. Her trot withered down to a stroll, when she noticed the environment around her. A prickly, cold feeling washed over her. This particular level of the garage scared the hell out of her, with its darkened corners and shadowy parts. 'Come on, Nassy. It's just your imagination.'

Nasira silently agreed and then proceeded to walk across the median of the third layer. She listened to the sharp and loud echoes that her high heels created along with the cemented roadway. There were chills occupying her back and arms. Her eyes frantically scanned the level. As she approached the ramp that led off to the second tier, she breathed a sigh of relief. 'Okay… One down and two more—

Her thought was disrupted by the sounds of an engine's purr. She blew out a breath as she glanced up at the roof. 'Oh Barney! Thank God!' She moved out of the middle of the roadway and stepped off to the side. 'I am freezing my ass off! This should teach me for not wearing a better…' The sounds of the engine's purring drowned out her thoughts. Her eyes captured the bright lights that could only come from a car's headlights land onto the garage's wall. She saw her shadowy figure dance off of to the side. Heat from the vehicle's machinery kissed at her chilled skin.

Her eyes took in the sleek, refurbished vintage American muscle car that was pulling up alongside her. It had come to a calculated stop. She excitedly walked up to the passenger door and pulled the door's handle. "You have…" Her left foot slipped into the vehicle. She kept her vision on the wall that was made from cinderblocks as she slipped the rest of her body inside of the car. "…a very nice…" She was smacked in the face with the scent of jasmine. Fear managed to grab her spirit from behind and caused her to tighten up. 'Oh God,' she silently whimpered. Her vision regrettably landed on the driver.

Dauntless Leader Eric Coulter sat in the driver's seat. His eyes were staring straight ahead, his profile was on display. His anger was radiating off of him like it was a cologne. It caused her body to react as well.

'Oh no,' her brain whimpered, 'get out no—

A firm grip on her left wrist caused her to freeze up.

"Close that door," he instructed. There was an unbridled sense of anger saturating his tone. "We're going for a ride."

"We can talk he…" Her voice died, when she was a victim of his ice-cold glower.

He turned his attention back to the windshield. "We're going for a ride. We need to talk."

"A-About?" she whimpered.

His head tilted slightly. "Oh, where's that girl who had no problem slapping me, hours ago?" he said in a snarky manner. "Oh, where did she go?"

'She's still here. She's just afraid that you'll murder her and bury her body in an Amity field.'

"Get in and close the door, Nasira," ordered Eric.

"Eric, I had to get home now. Luke—

"And you will," he groaned. "Now just get in the car and close my door."

"But—

His jaw twitched. "Just…Get in… Please."

'Please God…'

Her hand reached for the door's interior handle and clasped onto it. She pulled the door closed.

'…protect me.'

She glanced over at the driver. "Where are you taking me?"

"Don't worry. I know of a place."

*~oMLo~*

As they traveled, Nasira sat in the front passenger seat with one hand gripping the seat belt while her other hand held onto the door's handle. Her eyes frantically swayed in their sockets as they made glimpses out of the car's windshield and the passenger's window. They scanned the sun-covered streets' signs and the sights of the structures as they whizzed by, in a heart-pounding speed. She was searching for visible landmarks; anything that would give her a hint to her current locations. Eric's desirable destination was one inquiry that kept replaying inside of her mind. There were others, as well. She would've had all of them answered, if she wasn't afraid of the driver's potential responses.

Nasira did receive an answer to her important inquiry, almost an hour after she entered his vehicle. As she stared out of the passenger's window, she noticed how the structures began to look dilapidated and abandoned. The streets were empty from any other life forms. Soon, her eyes kept coming across sights of old factories and dysfunctional warehouses. His refurbished Trans Am drove into residential neighborhoods, where the houses were either in the stages of being rehabilitated or boarded up and advertising for a new owner. Then, they came upon acres of nothing but the asphalted streets and gated up parking lots. There were no buildings, no cars either driving on the same road or parked, and other human beings. Then, after driving for eight minutes on the road, her eyes saw something that was rising from the horizon. As the car continued to drive, the object began to rise higher. She was able to make out that it was another multi-floored building. It wasn't until his car was closer and the Dauntless leader began to drive on the streets that surrounded the building, was when she took in the building's entire appearance. It was a twenty-floored structure that used to be a residential building, from what she could gathered. The building's outward appearance displayed its old age and current bad state. The most noticeable flaw was the large, gaping hole that took out part of the roof and the top four corner apartments. There were cracks along the walls, along with the process of bricks chipping away. A wall was covered with ivy and foliage, a sign that the building was neglected of maintenance. Several windows were cracked or broken completely out of the frame, on the first few levels of the building.

Nasira glimpsed at Eric as he continued to drive. 'Where-in-the-hell did you take me?' she wondered.

He ended up driving to the back of the building, which faced acres of concrete-infused land. The front of his car pulled up onto a sloping sidewalk that led up to a closed black, twenty-foot gate. His car pulled up aside to a device that was mounted on a pole. There was a keypad. She watched Eric for his responses. He rolled down the driver's window and proceeded to type in a sequence of numbers into the keypad. There were three beeps and she watched the metal gate lift off of the ground. The gate cried a screeching sound as it rose. As soon as it was high enough, Eric struck the car's accelerator and drove the car into the blanket of darkness that was waiting on the other side of the gate.

'Okay…' She said to herself as the cabin of the car was submerged in darkness. "…where-in-the-hell is he taking me?!'

She ended up staring out of the windshield, at the scene that was presented before them. It was a dark, winding road that was surrounded by brick-aligned walls. The car's headlights were the only source of light for the travel. Like their traveling process before, Eric drove with a speed that was barely comfortable for her. Suddenly, the car was spat out of the tunnel and was placed in a well-lit, underground garage park.

'Oh,' her brain breathed just as the sensation of relief filled her veins. Her eyes stared out of the windshield at the various parked cars as he casually drove. She felt that he was very familiar with the place.

Her assumption was proven correct, when the Trans Am pulled up into an empty parking spot. The spot faced a brick wall and was in the company of a black, imposing-looking SUV that was parked on the right-hand side. The vehicle looked familiar to her.

"Get out," announced Eric, before he opened his side's door.

'What?' Out of instinct, she kissed her teeth in annoyance. The minor action caused her to receive a steely-eyed glare from the already-angered faction leader. She slowly exhaled and then proceeded to exit the vehicle. She was met with a thick blanket of humidity and the scent of a sweet-smelling fabric softener. She closed the front passenger's door a little too hard because the noise of the action echoed. She received another harsh glare from the car's owner.

"Come on," he instructed, before walking to the rear of the car.

Nasira followed him as he navigated their path from out of the garage. After walking a few feet, he snatched her right wrist into his left hand. Then he proceeded to walk briskly. Their sets of footsteps echoed throughout the spacious level. "Um…" she hummed, sounding unsure about announcing her impending inquiry.

"What?" she heard Eric mutter.

"Where are we going?" she asked him humbly. His response for her inquiry was a simple glare from over his left shoulder. "Ah, oh-kay," she whimpered.

Eric and his gripping hand had led the both of them to a silver, elevator door. His right hand pressed the button that awaited for his command. Seconds later, the door slid across, to the right and eventually revealing the carriage. He allowed Nasira to enter the carrier first before him. She stood in the rear while his tall, formidable frame stood in front of her.

"What floor, please?" a feminine-sounding, robotic voice stated as the door slid to the right.

Her eyes observed the closest hand that was near the panel of numbered buttons. Instead of pressing a button, Eric pressed the sole of his right hand against the black glass panel that was directly below the rows of numbered buttons. She watched a green laser light run horizontally and vertically on his hand. A pleasant-sounding chime was softly sang in the car.

"Welcome home, Mister… Coulter," the same feminine, robotic voice announced.

Nasira's eyes widened as her spirit was filled with shock. 'Home?! I'm at his house?!' She stared at the back of his head. 'Why am I here?!' She experienced the familiar tell-tale sign that all elevators gave her, when it began to move. There was a subtle spasm inside of her stomach.

Her eyes focused on the electronic meter that was above the elevator's door. When it reached the ninth floor, the carriage came to a stop. There was another but very minor tremble in her belly. Then she heard, "Have a nice day, Mister… Coulter" from the elevator as the door slid horizontally to the left.

She watched Eric step to the left and stand in front of the slot in which the door slid into. He held his right arm out and he stared at her. His fingers commanded that she leave the elevator. She gave their owner's face a concerned glimpse before she complied. Her eyes were already set on 'caution' before she even stepped into the environment that awaited for her. Once her stiletto heels and the sole of her gladiator sandals touched the smooth wooden floor, she immediately scanned the narrowed room. She quickly discovered that she was standing inside of a pantry closet. 'What the…?' The longest walls were covered with sets of buffets and hutches. On the shelves, there were canned goods and canisters that contained powdered protein. Before her eyes could explore further, a hand was placed on her lower back and there was a nudge, telling her to exit the room. Standing directly across from the elevator's door was another door. This one was made from wood, however.

She exited the pantry by using the door and she entered a more spacious room. It was an open space area that held a similar layout to her apartment. The door's threshold was closest to the kitchenette location. The kitchen gave off a 'lived-in and was used' vibe. The colors neatly transitioned into the colors that was used in the living room. A soft shade of yellow was used for the walls. The floor tiles were from stone and brown with the splashes of orange. There were plenty of cupboards of various sizes. It was a suitable-sized kitchen that was separated from the living room by a large counter island. The living room wasn't as spacious as hers, but it surprisingly held a cozy aura. The living room sat on a platform which held four steps. He owned a leather sectional as well, except Eric had chosen the color of brown, unlike her bright yellow piece. Across from the kitchen area, was a family of five windows. They weren't like her floor-to-ceiling panels that were in her living room. Each of his windows were bay windows with a little sitting bench in front of them. On the other side of the room, there was a staircase that led up to a second floor. On the first floor, there was a hallway that led to three doors.

All in all, Nasira was surprised by what she saw inside of Eric's home. If she had to make an assumption about his home's possible details, she would've guessed all-black décor with cold and hard furniture pieces. She wouldn't suspected warm and cozy furniture in earth tone colors.

She glanced over her left shoulder at the man, who was attempting to walk past her. "You have a very nice looking home, Eric," she remarked.

"Thank you," she heard him murmur as he brushed pass her.

She took a glance at him. He walked into the kitchen and headed over to the refrigerator. Then she made a few more steps away from the pantry's entrance.

"Would you like something to drink?" she heard Eric say.

'Is this is what he brought me here for? For a drink? We could've found an all-day pub for this shit. Hell, I wouldn't have mind the Snake Eyes Pub.' She glimpsed over at the Dauntless leader, who was in the process of making a beverage for himself. "No, thank you…" She walked over to the counter island and strolled over to the side that faced the living room. She found three bar stools tucked underneath the protruding countertop. She pulled out a seat for herself. "…I'm just here to have this… _little chat_ that you wanted to have so badly," she informed him as she sat down. She leaned forward slightly and placed her folded hands on the stone countertop. She glowered at him. "That's all."

Eric eyed her. There was a chuckle from his throat. He glanced to his left for a second. "Okay," he muttered. His fingers played the neck of the dark-colored bottle that he fetched from his refrigerator. He glanced down at the contents that were in the glass on the countertop. Then he abruptly lifted the glass to his lips and drank the remainder of his alcoholic beverage.

She remained silent as she surveyed his actions. She wanted to prove to Lucien's father that she was there to just talk. She didn't want to sit there and share a drink or two with him. She wasn't there to share a meal with him. She wasn't there to fuck him, also. It was a notion that crossed her mind, once she entered that elevator. In fact, she discreetly eyed did scan the other side of the living room, in search of the entryway to his sleeping quarters. She wanted to avoid that area as much as possible. Her fingernails tapped a melody against the marble countertop, displaying her impatience. After waiting for a second after the glass' rim left his lips, she said, "Are you ready to talk now?"

Eric chuckled again, which caused her flames of irritation to brighten. "You're so impatient."

A deep inhale and then a slow exhale came from her. 'Stay cool,' her conscience warned her. " _You_ were the one that dragged me, all-of the-way here, because _you_ wanted to talk. _Shit_ , if you wanted to talk so badly, then we could've talked inside of your car, in the garage on Jackson," she pointed out to him.

"Maybe I wanted to show off my place," he quipped. Then he showcased a smug smile.

Her dark brown eyes narrowed and her top lip subtly twitched. She really wanted to smack that sense of humor out of him. 'Try harder at being cool.' Her eyes did a scan at the cupboards that stuck out from behind him. "It's nice…" Her eyes perused the sink's countertop, which was below the cupboards. "…Anissa has done a lovely job, when it came to decorating your place. Maybe she should become an interior designer instead of the succubus that she already is." Her eyes flickered over to his face. She wanted to smile, when she saw the deep frown on his handsome face.

The frown quickly slipped off of his face and his usual stance returned. "She…" He brought the glass closer to his mouth. "…doesn't know about this place," he confessed into the glass.

'What?!' A sense of skepticism marred her face. She found that this admission was bullshit. Eric behaved like a puppy, when it came to this banshee. He was open and naïve to her whims. Now, all of a sudden, he was withholding information from her.

"You don't believe me?" he said to her, with a teasing lilt to his tone.

"No, I don't. I believe that you're trying to bullshit me," she confessed.

He shook his head. "I'm not." He took another sip. "She doesn't know about this place."

"Oh-kay… So if she doesn't know about this place, then how come? After all, she is your girlfriend. She's the one that will eventually become your wife, as you told me a few weeks ago. Why doesn't she know— and by the way, why do you have another place?! I thought all of the leaders had to live close to the Training Facility, unless you had a family."

Eric poured more of the amber-colored liquid inside of the glass. "It isn't mandatory for the leaders to live in the residential areas of the Training Facility. It's optional, except for during training season. Besides…" He placed the bottle back onto the countertop. Then he focused his fixed gaze on her. "…it was recommended by several other leaders to reside in other places that are away from the Training Facility. _'To get away from work'_ , as they like to call it. Max has one in the Amity-Dauntless border. Leader Holland has a place in this building. Your father had y'all, in that house in Dauntless village. Your uncle Xerxes loves to go to that cabin that is in those woods behind Amity. I don't know where Leader Kincaid lives during his off-time. He keeps that info to himself. And to answer your first question: she doesn't know about this place because _I_ had no desire in her knowing. She only knows about my apartment in the Training Facility."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, when she realized that he didn't reveal anything substantial. Instead she huffed. "So, if she doesn't know about this place, then why did you tell me? What makes me so got-damned special to you?"

Eric didn't answer her inquiries right away. He just glared. Then he had taken another sip. Once he placed the glass down, he continued to stare at her. It was after a few seconds, when he answered. "I told you because…" His voice trailed off.

'Would cut out the fucking dramatics, Eric, and just fucking tell me already?!' Nasira made a rude and sarcastic gesture by shrugging her shoulders and slightly shook her head.

The corners of his mouth twitched. He looked away from her. "I want you and Luke to come and live in here," he finally confessed.

'WHAT?!' her brain screamed. Her eyes grew large in diameter. 'Why?! I have my own place!' She blinked her eyes. "W-Why? I mean, I have my own place. Why do you want me to stay here?! It's too… It's not going to work out! It's too far out! Sophie lives out in the Training Facility's apartments and she doesn't have a car _and_ doesn't know how to drive. My job is in the Plaza, which is _too fucking far from here_! I would have to get up _extra early_ to get to work on time. No. This wouldn't work out. Yeah, this place is nice, but…" Then it hit her like a sack of bricks. Her voice trailed off. She looked at him in a whole new light. "This place won't be just mine… You were still planning on coming over, weren't you?"

A smirk kissed his lips. But the glint in his eyes told her that she was correct.

"Or you were planning on us becoming roommates?" she said softly.

With the smirk still etched on his face, he said "Not quite".

A notion entered her head and it made her body turned cold. Her back straightened while her shoulders and neck tensed up. Now, she finally understood. Nasira knew that Eric wasn't talking about the typical roommate situation, where they lived under the same roof but slept in separate bedrooms. The situation that he was asking for would involve Nasira giving up the unused side of her bed and of her body. She also knew that in this arrangement, Eric would also spent a few nights away from the home, so he would stay with Anissa. After all, she was the girlfriend out of this fucked-up triangle of lust and love. "So…" She glanced at the counter. "…You want to continue our… _thing_? But you want me to live here instead. Is that correct?" Her dark brown orbs locked in on his face.

"Yes." His answer was simple and precise.

"Mmm…oh…kay," she chirped. 'It figures.' Somehow, Eric's admission and his once-stated desires caused her list of insecurities to bloom inside of her psyche. The feelings of being worthless and unloved by men came creeping into her consciousness. The skin that covered her face began to violently buzz with discomfort. Her eyes were slowly stinging while her tear ducts were working on a new batch of tears. "Is this the reason why you wanted to talk to me?" she asked, with a creaking in her voice.

"Yes…" He looked away from her. He stared at the counter. "…You're very astute."

She sighed. "What made you come up with this…idea of yours?" Her hands began to slide across the cold, smooth texture that made up the countertop. It felt nice against her skin. She quickly came up with different possible plans for this countertop, a lot of them consisted of domestic ideas.

"Tonight," he confessed.

His answer pulled her back into reality. She continued to listen to him.

"When I saw you enter that nightclub…"

'No way!' She tossed Eric a look of disbelief. "You've…Seen me…As I entered the club, tonight? A club that was damn-neared pitch-black with flashing lights?" She unleashed a chortle to match her level of disbelief.

"Yes," answered Eric, without a hint of a tease in his voice. "I always recognize your body, even if it's far away…" He rose his glass in the air with his right hand. "…I know everything about it." Then he had taken another sip.

"Save your bullshit, 'keen sense of perception' claims for the meat-traps and the puppy-eyed initiates please…" she told him with a smirk. She slightly tilted her head. "… _Sir_."

Eric chuckled. He glimpsed at something in the living room and then he returned his stare to her eyes. "Do you want me to prove it to you?" he queried with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

He managed to lull her level of curiosity from its sleep with this challenge. 'Oh, what-the-hell…' She nodded her head. "Yes. Tell me… Show that Candor side of yours that always stay hidden," she teased.

His lips pursed up. "Okay…" His fingers proceeded to spin the now-emptied glass on the counter. "I know that you like to sleep on the right side of the bed, but you prefer to sleep on your left side. When I am sleeping next to you, your right leg loves to curl up with my side and you'll keep it there until I move it. By the way…" He stopped spinning the glass. "I can see where The Kid gets his sleeping habits because you sleep wild…"

Her plump lips pursed, which was a blockade tactic to keep a smile from forming. She didn't want Eric to get back on her 'good side' and she didn't want Lucien's father to think that he was on her good side.

"…Let's see…" he hummed. He contemplated for a few seconds before speaking up again. "You tend to scratch the back of your neck, when you're face with something that makes you uncomfortable. But then again, you'll do a lot of things with your hands, when you're uncomfortable. You tend to play with your hair. Or scratch at the back of your neck. Play with your clothes. Or, rub your hands against kitchen counters…"

Her hands stopped caressing the smooth marble. She glanced at him and saw a smug, close-lipped smile on his face. 'You're a jackass to the 'Nth' degree.'

"I know that your eyes always light up, whenever you see Luke. When he does something that frustrates you, you would either clench your fists into tight balls or you start humming songs, in order to keep you from hitting him—

"I would never hit him," she said to his father, cutting him off. She had spoken the statement with enough conviction that it caused Eric's eyes to darken up. She shook her head. " _No, I will never hit our baby_."

His eyebrows did a quick raise. His head did a tilt. "Never say never cause you'll never know what might happen in the future. Kids can be handful," he retorted.

Nasira had a hunch that he was testing her with his words. This was more than a tease. Either way, she knew what her response was going to be and she wasn't going to change it. "Kids can be whatever. It doesn't matter to me. I will never hit our baby," she told him with a firm voice. She gave his eyes an intensive gaze. At that moment, she longed for the ability to read his mind. She wanted to know what he was thinking at that particular moment. Was he reflecting about his own childhood? Or was he remembering his own relationship with his mother?

Just as quickly as the darkness appeared in his eyes, they disappeared. He picked up the bottle again and poured himself another drink. He pressed on with his assessment report. "You have a birthmark on your left ankle that kind of resembles the shape of New York. On your right tit, you have three moles that form a triangle. When you're thinking too hard, you play with your left earlobe…" He had taken a quick swig of his drink. "When you're…" A smile ran across his full and pink lips. "…horny…" His eyes leveled her a gaze that made her shoulders grow goose-pimples. "…you play with your lips…A lot. It's how I know that you want it. It is how I know that _you want me_."

In reaction, her thighs pressed themselves tighter to each other. Meanwhile a wave of heat blew down her body. She bashfully leveled her gaze down to the countertop. "I wasn't touching or playing with my lips, when we first hooked up," she told him.

"You're right about that… _I was."_

'Asshole.'

A comfortable wave of silence suddenly entered the spacious room. He nursed his beverage while she rubbed her hands along the countertop's surface. She began thinking about that night, the night in which Lucien was conceived. The act that led to his conception was so bizarre, in Nasira's book. Before that moment, Eric never displayed his level of desire for her. He always made his desire for Anissa known to her. She still didn't understand it.

"Go ahead and ask your question. I know that you want to."

A smile graced her face. Her eyes glanced at him. 'Well, here it goes.' She deeply sighed, in order to relax herself. A second later, there was the question. "Do you ever regret that night?" She looked up at him. "I'm talking about the night that we… _You know_ … Had sex for the first time."

"No," his full lips announced.

Her heart thumped against her chest. It made her chest feel heavy. "Why…? _Why did you do it_?" she asked him.

"I've done a lot of things, Nasira. You're gonna have to be very specific," he told her before bringing the glass' rim to his lips.

"I'm talking about the night that we created Luke. Why did you make that first move?" Nasira hoped that he would answer her questions rather than run from them. She was well-aware that Eric preferred to proverbially 'keep his cards close to his chest'.

His steely-eyed gaze focused on her. He sipped on his drink. His eyes continued to stare at her.

After a moment of silence that she was considered to be unnecessary, she stated a " _Well?"_

Eric placed the bottom of his drinking glass on the countertop. His tongue scraped the surface of his bottom lip and then he said, "Because I wanted you". His voice had diminished into a growl-like groan.

His tone had an effect on her, physically. A knot of pressure formed in the pit of her stomach while her thighs trembled and her slit grew inflamed. Her eyes flickered to his lips and then back to his eyes. Her own lips tucked themselves into her mouth. Her tongue licked the lipstick off of her plump lips. Once she released her soft flesh, she said, "When did you come up with…that decision?"

His blue orbs traveled to her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" She slid her panty-less, bottom against the stool, in hope of alleviating the dull throbbing sensation that was taken place in her bare petals. She silently prayed that he couldn't smell her heavy scent of arousal. "…what inspired you to act out your… _desires_ for me?" She naturally tilted her head to the side. "You appear to be a man that has a strong sense of self-control. Plus, you don't seem like the kind of guy that sticks his dick in any-and-every woman. So, why _me_ , of all people? Were you attracted to me because of how I looked on the night of the Diplomatic Banquet? Or, was the feeling _always there_?"

Another chuckle had fallen from the Dauntless leader. He ended picking up his glass again. "It was a…" He paused. The left eyebrow did the notorious tweak while a Cheshire grin approached his face. " _…_ _lingering_ feeling."

Silence permeated the room. She didn't mind the current status. She was going over his answers inside of her head. Nasira strangely felt a sensation of being satisfied. The tightness that was stored in her neck and shoulders disappeared.

"So why were you at the club tonight?" he asked, disrupting the tranquil moment.

She glanced up at him. "Probably for the same reason that you were there: to have fun with friends," she explained. Her eyes glimpsed at his hands, in particular, his knuckles. The memories from the night's club fight flashed in her mind. She observed the slight bruising that was taking form. She glanced at his eyes. "How does your hands feel?"

For the first time, since their conversation started, Eric was the first person to pan away after a question was spoken, due to discomfort. He had taken a glance at his battered knuckles. "They're fine," was his report. Then his bluish-gray eyes flickered back to her face. "Who was that guy you were with tonight?" He asked his question with a tone that showcased his sense of displeasure.

"Which one?" she said to him with a teasing cadence in her voice. Nasira was aware that making a semi-angry Eric even angrier was a bad idea, but she wanted to make him feel some sort of discomfort. After all, he planned on making her feel that way for the rest of her night, when she was at Club Inferno. She knew that she was behaving like a petty and insecure girlfriend, but it brought a little bit of reprieve from the feeling of insecurity that was there.

"I wasn't referring to that bozo, who was about to hound you at the bar," hinted Eric. "And besides, you already know who I am talking about, Nasira." He brought his glass close to his lips. "Being petty is so unlike you," he remarked. There was a high level of patronization in his voice that caused her irritation to propel.

Her brow frowned up as she glowered at him. "You're right," she sighed. In a high-pitched and mocking tone, she declared, "I am being petty, which is _ssssoooo_ unlike me!" She dramatically batted her eyelashes while she flipped imaginary hair from off of her shoulder. "I am _sssoooooo_ taking over Anissa's position right now, when I start acting that way! Like…" She subtly nodded her head while eying him. "…am I right?!" She dropped the act and pressed on. "You know what?! I should totally play up the role of 'Susie Home-maker' for you, while participating in this _fucked-up harem of yours_. I'll be the one that cooks and cleans and take care of Luke for you… And maybe, even the rug-rats that you're planning on having with Anissa! And if I do a good enough job for the both of you…" Her shoulders shrugged. Then her face had taken on mocking form of contemplation. She placed her left pointer finger on her chin. "…maybe… _Just maybe_ …You'll come to my room, late at night, and give me a 'pity-fuck'! But that's probably only if your beloved snookie-poo has her period or she's working late-at-night. You know… Like how _it is now_!"

"Enough!" He said the word with enough force that it managed to echo throughout the rooms.

Nasira leaned closer to the edge of the counter. "If you haven't guess already, Eric… _No_. I am saying _'No'_ to your proposal. I'm done with the act of playing 'second fiddle'! I've done it in every relationship that I was in before. I gave each man my heart and damned-near my soul, only for them to step on it and then tell me that I wasn't good enough for them! Some of them even said it with a few slaps to the face…" She unleashed a hard-sounding shrill from between her clenched teeth. "I am done! Do you hear me?! Do you _understand_ that?! I. Am. Done. With. This. You can't give me what I want and I can't continue to give you what I've been giving! You want Anissa? _Fine_! Then, _be with her and stop… CHEATING ON HER with me!_ I can't be with you anymore, because now I am realizing that all you want to do is _take-take-take_ from me! I thought that I could've done it! My stupid ass actually _believed_ that I could just fuck you and go on about my days! But I can't! Now I know that I can't! I've realized that I would like to be in a serious, monogamous relationship!" She ran her fingers through her flat-ironed hair. She stared at the wall that was behind him for a second. Her eyes re-focused on Eric. "Remember what I said about wanting to be with a man that would allow me to have his heart, mind, body and soul?" She didn't give him a chance to respond. "I meant every word that I said! I want a man to only focus on me! I want to be with a man that always had me as his 'first choice'! I want a man who will fight for me! A man whose eyes light up, when someone mentions my name! I want a man who is willing to fight for my honor, no matter what!" She sighed and shook her head. "I want somebody who acts the way _you do_ , when you're around Anissa." In the back of her mind, she said, 'Actually, I want _you_ , you big idiot. But you don't want me, so there's that.'

She wasn't expecting for that occurrence to happen. Nasira felt as if she had just rode on the infamous zip-line that ran through the city's skyline. Her whole body trembled. Her heart was racing. Her stomach was contracted. Her throat felt closed off and sore. Her eyelids were stinging and were fighting with the strain of holding all of her tears in. Then there was the over-powering feeling that was her shame. 'Oh God, what did I just do?! I…I… I have to go… I have to leave here…I have to go home!'

"I…I…I… I gotta go!" she announced while avoiding his eyes. She moved around in her seat. She was searching the living room for an exit. She knew that there had to be another one. She felt his thick and intense glower as she searched. It just made the icky sensation of insecurity clutch at her spirit even tighter. An instant sense of relief plucked at her, when she spotted a black door, a few feet away from the kitchen. Her fingers snatched up the clutch purse that was on the counter. She performed a glimpse at the leader before she leapt off of the stool. Once she landed on her feet, her ankles and feet protested to the idea of moving again. Despite being in pain, her feet led her to the perceived front door. Her fingers curled around the silver handle and she pushed the lever down. The thick slab of wood managed to open a few inches before it was violently slammed shut again. A high-pitched gasp of fright were stolen from her lips.

There was a wall of heat standing behind her. Her eyes glimpsed at the pair of sleeve-covered arms that kept her trapped in between the door and their owner. Her ears ended up picking the sounds of consistent purr-like, breathing. The fine and short hairs that grew on her forearms stood straight up, as a sign of feeling all of the static energy that clung to the atmosphere. Her guts were telling her to head out of there.

Her eyes did a quick glimpse at her hand as it held onto the door's sliver lever-styled handle. Then she focused on the door. "Err…AAAHH!" Her call for him was violently cut off with her scream. She felt his hand snatch up her right bicep before she spun around. His hand grabbed onto her mid-section and forced her back to slam into the door. His aggressive appendage returned to its original post, which was the door. Her eyes focused their attention on his covered arm because she didn't want to look into his eyes. She was afraid of what she would see in them blue orbs.

"Look at me."

'No,' her brain whimpered in her head.

His fingers found purchase on her chin and her cheeks. She whimpered into his palm and started to pant with fear. With a bit of force in his hand and forearm, he guided her head and led her eyes to focus on him. "Look at me," he repeated.

As his hand detached from off of her face, a family of tears were set free from each eye. Both rows of teeth dug into her fleshy lips to keep the panting down to the bare minimum. A muffled whimper slipped from her as his thumb dried her cheeks. The act of affection didn't feel right coming from him, according to her. He was more of a 'stoically stare and smirk' type of person. Then her own brain corrected her by reminding her of an affectionate Eric, when he pecked at the shoulders of his woman, a few hours ago. The burning knot of pressure returned and then nuzzled inside of her chest. "Er-Eric…" she whimpered. "I have-I have…To go." A trembling sigh fell from her lips. Her vision landed on the piercings that were embedded right above his eyebrow. "I-I-I have to—

Her statement, announcing her farewell, was disrupted by Eric's lips.

"Mmmph!" she moaned, out of surprise. Her eyes bulged just as her hands clasped his shoulders. Her fingernails dug into the fabric of his sweater. 'Stop it!' her conscience screamed at her. 'Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this! Stop this!' her righteous side proceeded to chant.

"Remember what I said about not letting you go?!" Eric growled to her lips, as soon as, he parted from the kissing. His lips proceeded to decorate her left jawline with pecks. His mouth traveled to her earlobe, where his tongue licked the pierced flesh. "I meant _every word_ ," he growled, into her ear, a second later.

Nasira felt his fingernails lightly scratch at her shoulders as his fingertips seductively pulled the spaghetti straps of her dress, from off of her. Lukewarm air nuzzled her shoulders, collarbone and stomach. Soft and slightly-moistened flesh touched at her exposed skin while his hands gripped her hips. After tracing the indentation that was made by her collarbone, his lips brushed along her throat.

"I'm not letting you go, Nassy…"

She felt his fingertips dance along the plastic clasp of her strapless brassiere.

"…You're mine," he growled into her chin as his fingers removed the latex contraption from off of her body.

"We… Need…" A piercing shot of pleasure stabbed at her spirit, after she felt his mouth lavish attention on her breasts. "… Stop…" she lightly moaned. His lips and heated mouth suckled on every bit of skin. The crown of her head struck the wooden plank that made up the door. Her eyelids fluttered before drifting shut. Her plump lips parted and a winding moan slithered out. "Eric," she moaned, "please, stop".

"No," he growled against the inner curve of her left breast. He took the fatty tissue into her mouth and he suckled.

Nasira felt a tug at her hips and the bunched-up material that was her dress was brushing against her legs. Seconds later, there was air wrapping around her naked flesh. His hands traced the curves of her flanks and traveled to her mounds of flesh. A throaty groan escaped from her as his fingers kneaded at her flesh. His pursed lips made a trail against her chest and her collarbone, as well as, to her right ear.

He drew her earlobe and the diamond stud that was embedded in the flesh, into his mouth. There were some pulls from his mouth before he let it go with an audible 'pop'. "Put your arms around me," he whispered.

Nasira's nails dug deeper into the material as her eyes popped open. Her vision landed on the ceiling, which was gently swaying in front of her. Then she recognized the notion that everything was off. She slightly numbed and dizzy.

"Put your…" His right hand softly clasped her neck while his left hand sought comfort on the back of her head. His lips kissed the right side of her face. "…arms. Around. Me." With each enunciation, he gave her temple a peck.

'This is your choice.'

Nasira closed her eyes in acknowledgement. She knew why this moment was so sharp and so muddled. This was her moment to state her decision. It was a turning point for her.

'I can only change what only involves me.'

She opened her eyes.

"Put your arms around me… Nassy," she heard him say.

Hearing her favorite nickname being spewed from his lips caused a fire of fury to grow inside of her soul. Her body was immediately covered with heat. Her anger continued to rise. Her head snapped to the right and she eyed the face of her faction leader, who also happened to be the catalyst for the emotional turmoil. Her dark brown eyes focused on the deep set blue ones. His brow did a subtle wrinkle and confusion briefly marked his face. Then a spark of knowledge brightened his eyes. Soon, her world and her body's balance was thrown off, both figuratively and literally. For one second, she was eyeing his face while standing upright. Then in the next second, she was glaring at an upside-down version of his backside. Her feet was draping in the air. Her plush stomach was pinned to his broad shoulder by his arm, as it was wrapped around her waist.

"Eric, put me down!" she said in a firm and stern tone.

"You're speaking to the wrong 'Eric' with that tone," he said, matter-of-factly.

'Wha—?' Then she realized that she had just used the same tone that she spoke to Lucien, whenever he misbehaved. 'Oh.'

She started her protests again, when she realized that he was traveling deeper into the home. She shouted his name several times, along with the orders to put her down. He ignored her, which angered her even more. Her fists proceeded to pound at his lower back, when his feet climbed the staircase that led to the second floor of his apartment.

"Go ahead…" he grumbled. "…Fight me and struggle."

Thanks to the uncomfortable angle that she was forced into, she did not follow the path that he started, once he reached the top of the stairs. She just recognized his feet's destination. She took note of the slight clutter that was on the floor and of the room's brightness. "ERIC! PUT…" The sound of the door slamming shut swallowed the rest of her demand. Her fists slammed into his lower back. "ERIC!" she shouted. "PUT ME DOWN!"

"Phhh…"

Her stomach felt as if rose into her throat as her upper body was sliced through the air. Her back was slammed onto a soft and forgiving object. Her bulging eyes landed on the offender. He stood in front of her, in between her opened thighs.

"…ine!" said Eric with a snarl on his lips. "You're down, now." His pink lips formed a cruel smile. His glowing eyes tossed her a glimpse before he turned away. As he turned, he proceeded to strip out of his sweater.

Her eyes' line of sight cut from the revelation that was on his back to the appearance of his closed door. 'NOW!' she heard her instincts called out to her. Her thighs' muscles tensed with anticipation. When he reached the point, where he was in the middle of the bedroom and he conveniently had his sweater over his head, she moved. She leapt off of the bed and ran over to the door, which was twelve feet in front of the bed's footboard. Her fingers rapidly sought for the door's silver handle. Her fingernails came across a key-panel. Her eyes bulged and her jaw dropped. 'What-the-fuck?!'

"You might…"

Her head swiveled to her left side, in the direction of the voice. Her bulging and surprised eyes peered at the individual who had captured her. He stood about eighteen feet away, in the doorway that led to another room. He was in the process of taking his left boot off. He already peeled his shirt off and unfastened his jeans. He was staring at her.

"…as well don't bother with that door…" He tossed his boot into the room and stood upright. "…The door is locked…" His hands grabbed at the waistbands of his underwear and jeans. "…and…" He pushed the clothing from off of his hips and down his thick, hairy thighs. "…you need the key-code, which you will never guess right," he declared as he was bent over. He removed his underwear and jeans, before standing upright and kicking them to the side.

Nasira's eyes and her curiosity managed to get the best of her. Her orbs rolled in their sockets and she glimpsed at his arousal. His cock was standing at its full potential and was waiting for release. Her canal pulsated, in reaction. His hands found their way into her viewpoint, when they began to stroke at the turgid skin. Her eyes' attention refocused on his own orbs. She caught the sly smile on his face. 'Asshole,' she secretly hissed.

She turned her back to him and proceeded to try to open his bedroom's door. She pulled at the handle. Her fingertips pressed various number sequences into the panel of buttons. The panel beeped and flashed a row of red lights, for every failed attempt. Groans of frustration slipped from her mouth with every failed attempt. 'It's not working… IT'S NOT WORKING!' She unleashed a ferocious growl and a fierce kick to the door.

A pair of warm lips softly kissed her bare right shoulder. The action frightened her. She wasn't aware that he was crept up behind her. She yelped and then sought refuge. She pressed her back against the door. She glared at the perpetrator with her wide eyes. Eric stood before her, naked and still erect. Her eyes first landed on his torso, before their ascension towards his face. There, his eyes held an emotion that had nothing to do with his lust-driven state.

He released a few blinks before his brow ridge performed a deep crease. Tension quickly filled up the master bedroom."I'm…" he started out with. He paused. He briefly turned his head and stared at of the room's windows. A mask of contemplation crossed his handsome face. His jaw twitched as his throat jerked from a swallow. He deeply inhaled. Then he returned his intense gazing at her, once he came up with a decision for his inner conflict. "I'm not good when it comes to expressing my…" His lips curled as a sign of his discomfort. "…feelings and shit." His eyes twitched in their sockets as they glimpsed at her chin.

"So why…?" She watched his eyes go back to staring at her eyes. "…are you bothering to do so now?" she breathed.

"Because…" Eric had taken a few steps towards her. "…this is the first time you've ever feared me…" He came to a halt when he was a few inches in front of her. His palms were planted against the door, by each side of her head. His face dipped low. "…I felt the fear come off of you…" His forehead touched hers. "…You've…" He gently shook his head. "…never been afraid of me before…Never." He made a couple of inhales. "Does that answer your question?"

Nasira found it difficult to speak with Eric standing so close. So she nodded her head. Her eyes took in the pair of eyes that hovering over her own. She nodded again.

"Do you remember that _'heart and body and soul'_ thing that you were talking about?"

Once again, she nodded.

"I've been thinking…" He sighed. There was a sense of discomfort in him. "You want an explanation. Well, here's one: Anissa…"

Just the mention of her name made Nasira's skin crawl. Her eyes briefly closed and a shudder erupted in her body. Her face made a subtle grimace.

"…has my _'_ _soul'_ and my _'_ _heart'_ …"

'Oh God,' she quietly groaned. Her eyes opened and she looked at him. "Why are you telling me this?" She was awarded with the tip of his finger to the Cupid's bow in her top lip.

"Please…"

Hearing the word of humility slip from Eric, of all people, surprised her.

"…let me finish," he asked of her.

She grunted and nodded her head. "Sorry. Go ahead."

Eric continued. "Anissa has my soul and my heart." He had fallen silent for a moment. "And you have _my mind and my body_ ," he confessed.

Her eyes widened while the surprise made her heart race. She managed to keep her mouth shut.

A gruff-sounding grunt was secreted from his throat. He pressed on. "Anissa has known me since we were both kids, living in Erudite. She's known me since I was a _'nobody'_ who lived in a shitty apartment that was in the sub-level of Erudite's research building. She's been there for me, even when my own fucking mother didn't want me. Even when I was a bedbug-infested, poor kid who could barely put two sentences together without stuttering and fucking it up…" He nodded his head slowly. "And she accepted me. She _accepted_ me. She was a girl that came from the high-rises and from the top surface. And… she accepted _my ass_. Not only did she accepted me, but she helped me become better. She helped me pass classes. She helped me with my clothes. If I needed a place to stay, because I was locked out of my home, then she allowed me to stay with her. It…" He pulled his head away from her. His face frowned up. He shook his head. "…didn't matter if I came knocking on her door at three o'clock in the afternoon or at three o'clock in the morning, she always opened her door for me. She accepted me. When I made the choice to go to Dauntless, I asked her to come and she said, _'_ _Yes'_ …"

Nasira noticed the bright luster in his blue orbs and the pleasant smile on his face. The notion that this viper-of a-woman could make Eric smile, made her heart race and the sense of envy to flood her spirit.

"…She helped me to become a leader for this faction and she still does help me."

Her body started to tremble. Hearing Eric recite some of his childhood's history and hearing all of the kind statements that he just made about Anissa was making her adrenaline run through her body.

"She was the only thing that I needed…"

'Damn,' she silently murmured, in disappointment.

"…Well, I did believed in that…Until I met you," he confessed.

Her eyes snapped open. She saw the corner of his mouth turned upwards.

"…When I first met you, I considered you to be the daughter of the man that I've considered to be… He was my hero, point-blank. So, when I discovered the news that you were going to be automatically placed back in Dauntless, I knew that I needed to help you stay. I believed that I could've repaid Goliath and your mother back for all of their help, back when I was an initiate and the following years. So, when there were some minor infractions that were done, I turned a blind eye to them. When I felt like you were slacking in your work, I forced your shitty trainers to make you work harder. When your name would come up for deliberations, I convinced the trainers and leaders to pick someone else. When some of the trainers made the mistake of believing that you would be their next victim, I made sure that they understood to leave you alone. Once you passed the initiation process and you became a full-fledged member, I thought that it was going to be the last time that I would see you." He cocked his head. "Then, came the situation with Anissa and Patrick…" He sighed. "…On that day, when I saw you, I knew who you were and I also saw you differently—

" _Differently_? How?" she queried. Once she realized that she interrupted him, her eyes widened. She quickly apologized.

Eric's right hand left its post and drifted down her curvaceous frame. His hand clasped her right hip. "Let me put it to you this way…" His hand gave her hip a teasing shake. "…On the day of that meeting, I was staring at your thighs and imagining them wrapped around my head…"

Nasira's stomach clenched and her walls trembled. Her lips formed a perfect "Oh".

"And that was just the start of it. My attraction for you kept growing. I ended those meetings with you quickly, for a reason. I've… _Tried_ fighting it. I knew that I should've been focusing on Anissa. Maybe it had something to do with how she was treating me. Maybe a latent form of resentment grew in me because of it. But, all I know is, there were thoughts of you that were starting to seep inside of my head. I had these urges just to see you. And when I did see you…" He chuckled. "I felt like a teenager again. I kept getting…" His eyes drifted down to his groin. Then its gaze returned to her face. "When I saw you at the banquet dinner, I knew that I needed to have you on that night. I became fed up with all of the hard-ons and…" Then he quickly muttered under his breath, "the stupid wet dreams…"

'Wet…dreams?'

"…I figured that once I fuck you, then I would get you out of my system…" He glimpsed at her breasts. "And you've seen how that worked out for me." A wave of silence washed down on the both of them. He took a few backward steps. He peered down at her. "These past few weeks..." He huffed and looked away, to the closet's entrance. "I've learned..." He glared at her. "...that it was more than just a _sex-thing_ , as you like to call it. Within these past few weeks, I've found myself wanting to stay in your apartment more than anything else. I wanted to spend all of my time with The Kid and with you…" His left hand scratched at the back of his head. There was a chuckle and a twinkle in his eyes. "…Especially, with the Kid. He…" He huffed and then stopped scratching. He looked away from her. "I don't know too many kids. I've never been around them long enough to really form an opinion about them, but I know that Luke's… _Special_ to me, Nasira. Every time I see him, I just want…" His left hand did a quick caressing sweep against his face. "…He makes me feel like I am twenty-feet tall and like I am the most powerful person on this planet. He doesn't flinch or run away from me. I want… to do things with him…" His eyes focused on an invisible spot that was on the door. "…I want to show him how to do things. I—

"You love him," she interjected. She smiled. "You love him."

"And it scares the shit out of me," he blurted out.

A lump formed in her throat.

"As of lately, I have been rushing with my work, just so I could leave the Training Facility and be with you two. As of lately, I also been more and more excited in the fact that Anissa has been getting late-night shifts at the hospital as well." His eyes traveled back to her eyes. "When I'm hanging out with you guys, I feel like I'm…dreaming. Like…" His brow ridge crumpled up and his eyes became cloudy with contemplation. "…Like…Like… L-Like…" His eyes became vibrant. "…I'm not me," he confessed.

Her own brow ridge crumpled up in confusion.

Eric saw the confusion. He explained. "When I am hanging out with you guys, I become careless. I end up feeling like I don't care about anything. I don't want to be a leader. I don't want to handle any of the responsibilities. I don't give a shit about this faction. I-I don't care about the initiates. I don't…" He unleashed a hearty exhale. His shoulders did a curt shrug. "I don't care about anything that goes on outside of your apartment. When I am with…" His right palm found a comfortable spot that was her left cheek. His thumb caressed her top lip. "…you guys, it's just us, for me. It's just you. And Luke. And me. That's all I want."

Nasira eyed Eric with tears in her eyes and her lips tucked into her mouth. She placed a hand on his left cheek. She inhaled and released her lips. Her thumb grazed his cheek. "Eric," she softly announced. "I'm in love with you," she confessed. She watched his eyes widened briefly and his pupils darkened. "…and this is why this _sex-thing_ must end today," she explained. "I know what I agreed with and I know what I promised you, but I lied to you. I'm sorry about that. I'm really am. I know that I've complicated things. I…" A shaky sigh escaped. "…did manage to fall for you…and it was…" She cried, "… _stupid_ of me, because I know that you don't love me at all…" She nodded her head as the tears continued to fall. "…And that's my fault! I know that." She glimpsed at his eyes. "I can't do this anymore. I can't have sex with you on one night and then see you introducing Anissa to politicians and leaders, on the next day. I don't want to feel…" She touched at her chest. "…this way anymore! I don't want to feel like a whore anymore." She turned her back to him. Her fingers tried to make the handle work. Her fingers began to tap the keypad once again.

"I love you."

His declaration caused her hand's frantic movement to cease. A wave of pressure filled up her ears, muffling out of the sounds. Her heart began to race.

She focused her sight on the door. Her head slightly shook. "No," she whimpered.

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't" she cried.

"Yes, I do. I love you, Nasira."

Her hands clutched her face and she began to carelessly sob into her palms. Her head still subtly shook.

"Yes. What reason would I have to make, for me to make up that kind of lie?" he pointed out. "I don't…" He sighed. "I do love you, Nasira."

His constant recitation about his strong emotional bond towards her, caused her to feel a little dizzy. When she felt her equilibrium shift, she gripped the door and pressed her forehead against it. She forced her shallow breaths into the door.

"And I love Anissa too," he confessed, as well.

She felt his heated skin come in contact with hers as he pressed his nude front to her back. His hands found their ways around her body as his arms formed an embrace around her. His face nuzzled the right curve that was placed in between her shoulder and neck. His lips performed a melody of affection against her skin. A soft sob fell from her, once she acknowledged her ravenous need to have his arms holding her.

"This is why I can't let you go," he clarified. "I need you just as much as I need her." He gave the back of her neck a kiss. "The idea that you are available for other men makes me… Not happy. I wish that I could just keep you here."

"It's unfair," she cried.

"I know," he groaned and acknowledged. He pressed his forehead against her shoulder.

There was silence with the exception of her soft cries. Her hands managed to travel from the door down to his tattooed forearms. Her fingers ran up and down against the skin, caressing his thick arms. He groaned his appreciation.

His removed his forehead from off of her left shoulder. He stared at her profile and she felt his heated glare. After a minute of his observation, he applied a kiss to her left temple. His lips grazed the surface. "Promise me…" He inhaled and then slowly exhaled. "Promise me… That you will never have another man in that apartment, with you and The Kid is around. Can you promise me that?" he requested.

A deep gasp fell from her. Shocked filled her after she realized that he was giving her what she wanted from him. Her freedom from the emotional prison that he had kept her in.

"C-Can you promise me that much? I don't want him to experience that. I… I know what that is like and how it felt," he told her.

Her face morphed into a mask of sadness. A shuddering, whispery cry fell from her. She dipped her head. A series of cries fell from her. She knew that the sound of vulnerability in his tone made her lost it. After making a few heaving breaths, she said "I promise, Eric". She nodded her head. "I promise."

In response, Eric tightened his hold on her. His display of affection was a cause for another onslaught of tears. He continued to hold her through that storm and for an additional twelve minutes that followed. The cries eventually withered down to whimpers, which simmered down to the occasional deep sighs. She was sure that they were standing there for a series of minutes, but according to her legs and feet, it felt like hours. A fiery sensation permeated in her joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons. She lifted each foot off of the floor and flexed, in order to alleviate the discomfort.

There was a sharp inhale and a tightening in the band of affection that was around her waist. "Please…Don't move like that unless you want to take this into a whole other direction," she heard Eric warn her. She detected the fringe of amusement in his voice.

Nasira's tear-stained and slightly puffed-up face had frowned up in confusion. She turned her head, so she could face Eric. His blue eyes gave her a glimpse before he gave her a wordless hint. A second later, she felt his hardness graze her lower back and the tops of her buttocks. "Oh," she chirped, as her eyes widened, when she reached enlightenment. She remembered his statement. A blush grew on her face and a breeze of heat warmed her body. Her stomach spasm in excitement. Her right hand reached behind her and shyly ran her fingertips along the length.

There was a growl-like groan. His grip tightened for a pulse. "Nasira." The sound was barely human-like.

Her fingers gripped the base of his member and slowly pumped at the shaft. The tips of her fingers glided across the glans for a few swipes before her hand drifted back down. She listened to the series of moans that this mouth created.

"Nasira…" he moaned. Then he performed an exhale. "What about our—?

"Just one more time," she blurted out. She turned around and eyed the naked man that just declared his love for her. "Just one more time…" She pressed her lips to his chest. "…Please?" She felt his hands clasp her face, seconds later. Her lips kissed the uncovered areas of each palm before she met up with his lips.

Both lips kissed with a sense of urgency attached to each act of affection. Eric deepened the urgency, when his thick tongue pushed pass her fleshy lips and plunged into her mouth. Her tongue rose to meet his. Moans decorated the walls and the bedroom's furniture. The sounds of heels walking along the wooden floorboards were the noises that followed. Then the sounds of the gentle cries of the mattress' bed springs.

As soon as they landed on the large bed, Eric grabbed a hold of her left ankle. He kneeled by her legs and proceeded to unbuckle each strap that was on her shoe. Once the leather straps became slack against her shin and calf, he peeled the elaborate shoe off. He tossed it to the floor, where it landed brusquely on the floor with a loud 'clang'. She arched her uncovered foot as his lips kissed the top of her foot. She chuckled. He placed her left leg back on the bed. She was a spectator to the unveiling of her right leg.

"Um…Eric?" she said softly. She watched his eyes turned to her own. "You don't have to unbuckle each one, babe. There's a zipper on the back of the shoe," she finally revealed.

Eric turned her calf slightly. He glanced at the slider that dangled, as if it was teasing him. His face frowned up. He glimpsed at her. He proceeded to unzip the show to the soundtrack of her melodic giggling. Once he unzipped the shoe, he tossed the item onto the floor. Then his right hand gave her plump ass a hearty swat. "I should make you put those shoes back on again," he told her as she laughed.

"Ah-ha," she chuckled, before rolling onto her stomach. She rose to her hands and knees.

A lecherous growl rolled from his mouth. "Mmm, so… You like this position, huh?" he groaned as his hands grasped her rounded hips.

Nasira giggled. "You claimed that you know everything about me…" She tossed a glance at him, from over her right shoulder. "…I think you should know," she teased.

"Mmm," he hummed as he eyed her point of arousal. His glans began to trace the seam of her gash, collecting the nectar of her arousal. "I always…" he grunted. "…thought that the 'headboard thing' was your favorite thing…" His tip found the entrance to her womb. His hips snapped forward and sheathed his member into her womb. The bedroom was filled with the audible sounds of their pleasure. "…Your pussy always get tighter, when we're in that move," he moaned.

Her eyes fluttered before falling shut while a soft moan fell from her lips. "Y-Yes," she hissed. Her face softly grimaced. "Mmm-hmm…It is." She moaned, "Eric". A second later, she felt a line of pressure descend down into her pelvis, as well as, his glans butt up against her crease soon after.

"Spread your legs further apart, baby" growled Eric.

"Mmmm…Okay," she moaned before eagerly obeying to his demand. She found her upper body sinking down to the mattress. She folded her arms and used them as a head rest. Her skin buzzed with a ticklish-pleasure against her thighs as his fingers caressed her skin. They found her hips again.

"Are you ready for me?" he teased her.

She moaned. "Please don't tease me."

"No. Tell me. Are you ready for me?"

She moaned again. "Yeah," she mewled. A second later, she was subjected to his cock as it prodded deeply into her. A guttural wail of pleasure ripped through her. Her fingers gripped the blankets while her cunt gripped at his member. She heard his grunts, in response. His fingers tightened their hold before withdrawing again. He found solace in her gash again. "Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes…" she moaned in a rapid-fire chant.

Eric began to move in her hot, velvety warmth with the same level of urgency that his kisses held. His hips performed at a rapid and hammering pace, making the bedroom subjected to the sounds of their bodies slapping together. His cock performed strokes that were shallowed and provided pleasure to her swollen clitoris. She managed to come with a scream on her tongue.

"Ugh! Oh God… Eric!" she loudly moaned as she was subjected to being rammed by his hardness.

"Mmm-hmm," he moaned. His hand came crashing down on her ample left cheek. "Keep on saying my name," he growled.

She felt twinges of pressure flutter in her clit and in her sheath. Her mouth fell open and a hoarse cry slithered out. "FFFFFFFFFu-uck!" she blurted. A series of moans followed. "Keep on, baby…Keep on," she moaned. Just when she was about to unravel again, the line of pleasure was snipped. The pressure that was stored in her lower belly disappeared.

"Turn around," she heard her faction leader instruct.

'What?' her sex-addled brain groggily murmured.

"Baby… Get on your back," he further explained.

'Oh…kay,' she silently murmured.

Nasira sluggishly crawled away from Eric and the footboard of the bed. She traveled further up the bed. She came to rest in the center of the mattress with her head resting on the family of pillows that were at the headboard. She peered down, passed her own sweaty and nude form, to the nude form that was kneeling on the bed. His glowing eyes were on her. A smile was pressed on his face. Then there was a chortle.

Eric soon met up with her. He took a hold of her ankles and steered her legs into another position. With the backs of her legs pressed up against his torso and her calves draped off of his broad shoulders, he impaled her onto his prick again. Both bodies shuddered as moans slipped from their mouths, upon impact. He leaned forward and gripped the leather headboard.

"Yea…Yesssssss…" was hissed into the air, a millisecond later. It was followed by a masculine growl-like chuckle.

*~oMLo~*

"Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma!" The happy shriek was sliced through the air, as soon as, Nasira stepped into her living room.

Her brown orbs spotted her baby boy in the living room. It appeared as if he just climbed off of the couch, when he heard sounds of footsteps on the other side of the door. He was standing in front of the sofa part of the sectional. His hands were holding onto the couch's cushions. He was looking over at her, from his left shoulder. His chubby face was red with excitement. Nasira smiled at her son. "Lukie, hi, my big boy!" she cheered as she walked further into the room. She watched her son rhythmically bob up and down, as well as, laugh.

"Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma!" he chirped. Lucien released his hold on the cushion and he began walking towards his mama. "Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma!" he laughed as he took his steps.

Nasira squatted down, close to the floor. She held her arms out and waited for her son to walk into her arms. She watched his pajama-clad body walk towards her. She continued to smile and encourage the toddler. In her subconscious, she was alerted that the front door was pushed close. She quickly tossed out the reminder. She wanted to be fully focus on her son.

"Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma!" Lucien squealed as he walked pass the squatting woman and in the direction of the man that stood a few feet behind her.

'What-the-hell?' She turned slightly. She stared at the father and son duo as they reunited. She eyed Eric. He was busy staring at his son while the chubby-cheeked boy incessantly babbled. 'What-the-hell?!'

A light giggle from the couch caused Nasira to eye the teenager that was sitting on her couch. She sat cross-legged and she managed to witness the whole scenario. She was laughing demurely behind her hands. Nasira tilted her head. Sophie shrugged her shoulders in response.

Nasira laughed lightly to herself. She shook her head and then stood up. The joints in her knees popped as they straightened. She slightly grimaced. 'I am too young to be feeling this way. I haven't worked out this hard enough ever,' she thought. In the back of her mind, she remembered the lust-fueled activities that she participated in, a few hours ago.

"Miss G.?"

Nasira was pulled from her thoughts by Sophie's voice. She stared at the young woman. "Mmm, Sophie?"

"Miss G… I mean, _Miss Grant_ , are you okay with me leaving now?" the child's caretaker questioned. Her casually warmed voice had dramatically turned into one that was softer and full of humility.

The mother detected the difference right away. 'She's never called me 'Miss Grant' before. And what's with her voice? I—Oh, it has to do with Eric!' Nasira glimpsed at the young faction leader and noticed the imposing stance that he was currently in: he was standing with his back and shoulders straight. His head was aimed straight and his eyes held a level of coldness in them. She was sure that she would've found him as being imposing, if she was another Dauntless member. But then again, maybe not, ever since he was currently holding a toddler in his arms and the boy was blowing 'raspberries' into his left cheek. She turned to Sophie. "Sure sweetie," she informed the nanny.

The girl gave Nasira a weak smile and practically leapt off of the couch. She performed a light trot down the hallway and to the second guest bedroom. She tossed Eric a look of disapproval before she traveled the same trek to the guest bedroom. Once she arrived to the doorway, she leaned up against the wood and she peered at the girl as she packed up her belongings. The mother asked her son's caretaker for a status report. The brunette gave a satisfactory report about her son's progress from the previous night. Then she asked Nasira about her first experience at Club Inferno.

"It was okay…" she answered as she leaned up against the doorframe. "…had a few drinks. Dance for an hour. I bumped into my brother Rogue and I hung out with him and his friends. A fight managed to break out while we were there. It—

"One had broken out on the night that I had gone, too!" Sophie pointed out.

"I ended up hearing that it happens a lot at that club."

Sophie finished packing her knapsack. She stood up from the bed.

"Hey Soph, do you want me to call you a cab or something? You shouldn't have to take any buses. It's my treat, after all, you stayed with Luke," reported Nasira as she stepped out of the nanny's way.

"No, it's alright, Miss G." she stated as she exited the bedroom. "I'll take the bus back to the Training Facility. By now, both my roommate and her boyfriend are asleep. They're night owls. At least I will have a few hours of my living room to myself."

The two women entered the living room. Eric and Luke were sitting on the sectional, watching a cartoon from the video-converter. The holographic screen displayed the image of several goofy-looking characters. As soon as they emerged from the hallway, Nasira caught Eric's blue gaze focus on them. She was made aware that he still possessed the same predator-like glare. She frowned up and then gave him a scolding glare. His behavior reminded Nasira of how protective dogs behave, when strangers encroach on their territories. Then her brain reminded her of Eric's testimony; the part that was about his feelings of her home. 'That's it!' she said to herself. 'He's acting like a damn Great Dane right now! Just stop it, Eric!'

Sophie tossed a quick farewell to both Nasira and Lucien. Then there was a meek "Dauntless Leader Coulter" from her and she hightailed it out of there. Usually, Sophie would hug and kiss the toddler, as well as, perform an impromptu song called "The Goodbye-Bye-Bye Song", as they would walk to the door. It was her way of teaching the boy to handle his sadness and anger about people's departures.

"Jeez Eric, what-in the-hell did you do to those kids?" she teased, as soon as, the front door softly clicked shut.

Eric's head raised just a little as he spied her. Unlike the last few minutes, there was warmth in his eyes. "What?"

She placed her hands on her hips. She gave him a look of disbelief. "You made that girl quick-step and hightail it out of here like she had fire shooting out of her ass!" She realized that she sounded just like her mother.

"You just sounded like your mother just now," he told her.

She slightly grimaced. "I know."

"And besides, I didn't do anything to that girl," he informed her before he settled back into his seat. Lucien had taken the opportunity to travel over to his father's lap and sit there.

"Back when she was an initiate, were you an asshole like you were for my class?" she inquired as she strolled over to the kitchen.

"I did my job and that's all that matters," he told her. Lucien giggled.

Nasira had taken a glance at their son. "Are you staying for lunch?" she asked his father.

"What are you making?" he asked with curiosity.

"Corned beef hash sandwiches with cheese and onions, for us. For your firstborn son over there, I am going to make him a bowl of his beloved mashed potatoes," she told him.

"'Corned beef', what?"

"Pa-toes!" shrieked Lucien.

Nasira smiled at their enthusiastic little boy and then she glanced at the back of his father's head.

"Pa-toes! Pa-toes! Pa-toes! Pa-toes! Pa-toes!" the toddler happily squealed.

"Corned beef hash. Please don't tell me that you've never had corned beef hash! It's like as old as time! In fact, it is older than the concept of hamburgers! It's…" She shrugged her shoulders. " _Corned beef hash_! It's like pastrami, in a way…"

"Pa-toes! Pa-toes! Pa-toes! Pa-toes! Pa-toes! Pa-toes! Pa-toes! Pa-toes! Pa—

Eric's hand covered Lucien's mouth. The chanting stopped. He glanced over his right shoulder, at Nasira. There was a quizzical expression on his handsome face. "'It tastes like…' what?!"

She stared at Eric, with a dumbstruck expression. "You… _You don't know what pastrami is_?!"

"No."

"Have you ever tried any other kind of food besides the stuff that they sell in the Training Facility's food court?"

He shook his head.

She slapped her hand on the countertop. "Now, you know why I stay away from the Training Facility building. Not everybody wants to eat cheeseburgers everyday and that… _nasty-ass chocolate cake_ that everyone talks about…" She heard Eric chuckle.

"You better be careful with where you announce that," he warned her. "For some Dauntless members, that statement would get you court-martial, if it was up to them."

"And I wouldn't care, Eric. I would just tell them to try out the Grant's triple-layered, Midnight Layer Cake or my late grandmother's red velvet cake…" She noticed the look of befuddlement on the faction leader's face. "…It's not a cake that was made out of velvet, Eric" she told him. The expression disappeared from his face. "As I was saying: I would give them a slice of my grandmother's red velvet cake or the family's Midnight Layer Cake and watch the conversion begin. By the time that they were done with both cakes, they would treat the Dauntless cake like it was an ugly meat-trap that they had a drunken, one-night-stand with!" She knocked on the countertop once. "Now let me—

"Ow…shit!" Eric suddenly grunted. His body jerked in his seat as he yelped out in pain. He held up his injured hand and shook it. Meanwhile, the living room was decorated with a baby's laughter. The father glimpsed at his son before he glanced at the mother. "He just bit me!"

Nasira cackled. She eyed the boy. "Did you just bite Da-Da?" she asked him, in her 'baby voice'. The baby laughed. "Yeah, you did?! You bit Da-da?!" she said, giggling and nodding her head.

Lucien giggled. "Da-Da! Da-Da! Da-Da! Da-Da!" The boy was subjected to a kiss on his forehead by his father.

She recalled Eric's statement about 'the Kid' as he like to call their son. Her heart released a few hard thumps and her throat tightened up. This time, her conscience remained silent. She looked away from the scene and she proceeded to prepare lunch. As she cooked, her brain recalled the minute fantasies of domestic bliss that she created as her hands touched at Eric's countertop. In her fantasies, she was always the wife and the mother of a few children. Eric was always the faithful husband that showed his love for his family in his own way. She was always frazzled, but she knew that she was blessed.

As she sautéed the meat in a broth and in onions, she reflected on their time in his bedroom. This time, it was different than their other affairs but she knew why. It was because he was in love with her. A smile and a blush was brought to her cheeks, when she recalled those words coming from his mouth.

The sex was…spectacular. It was powerful. It had nothing to do with her climaxes or even his. It had everything to do with their lack of shields and the walls of omitted truths. They were made aware of their love for each other. So, they held nothing back as they joined their bodies together. Nasira comfortably revealed her love for him as he continued to ram his member into her body. His lips occasionally moaned a 'love you' or another affectionate term.

By the time lunch was ready, the kitchen and the living room was filled with a thick layer of humidity. But those two areas weren't the only places that were left damp and heated.

"So…" A very smug smirk touched her lips. "…how was it?" she asked. She really didn't need to know his answer, ever since she was a witness to his very voracious eating habits.

Blue eyes tore away from their owner's plate to look at her. "It was alright," he uttered. "It was okay," he told her as his fingers scraped the plate of the remnants of meat and gravy, using his last bit of bread. He nodded his head as he chewed vigorously.

"Mmm," she hummed as she chewed on the last bit of her sandwich. She knew that he was lying through his teeth. After all, she watched him devour his hero-sized sandwich, once he realized that he enjoyed the few test bites that he made. Then, the man proceeded to eat the remaining food that was left in the pan. It was followed by the uneaten half of her own sandwich. "You know that you didn't have to tell that bold-faced lie about the sandwich, but that's okay."

A groan-like chuckle erupted from the man.

Her eyes focused on their son, who was sitting next to Eric, in his highchair. The toddler was deeply asleep. His chubby jowls were still covered with potato residue. In his right hand, he was still holding onto his tiny spoon. Her eyes peered into his feeding bowl and noticed that he ate most of his instant mashed potatoes. "It…" her right index finger pointed to Lucien. She watched Eric's attention turned to their son. A smile crept upon his face. "…looks like our boy has eaten to the point that he has fallen asleep." There was another chuckle from him. A moment of silence of noiselessness gradually sailed into the room. The only sounds that were heard were Lucien's soft snores and from the world that was outside of her living room's windows. Nasira disrupted the moment, when she said, "When was the last time you had a home-cooked meal? You know… besides from me."

His jaw moved a few times before he answered, "Your mother".

"My mom?" she said softly.

He nodded. "Yes, your mother. It was during my days as an initiate. Before then, it was food from the cafeteria. Before my days of Dauntless, I lived off of baloney sandwiches and those… Pocket soups that the Abnegation likes to give out to the factionless."

Nasira knew that Eric wouldn't like it, if she stared at him with pity. Then she realized that this was the second time that the Dauntless leader had freely volunteered information about himself.

The mere reference about her mother also brought the image of the vivacious woman's face into her head. She imagined the graceful woman in all black luring a lanky, slightly-malnourished teenage boy to her office, where she took care of him with the minimum supplies that she possessed like a mother would perform for her child. More than what his own mother had done for him. Then she imagined another scenario that was similar, but this one involved a girl with a bruised-up face and a lie about being from Amity that was ready to be pour from her tongue. The fact that her mother was a caring and protective person entered her mind. Plus the older Grant woman was savvy as well. She knew that her mother managed to gain both Eric's and Sophie's trusts by being her spitfire self.

Her mind opened the floodgates of memories. There was the memory of Mrs. Grant singing "I Love You, Porgy" as she carried a squalling, infant-sized Rogue throughout the first level of their house while a nosy four-year old Nasira watched from the stairwell. The recollection of when her mother chastised Trigger and Samson after they fought two neighborhood boys and the memory of their mother hugging them both afterwards. A moment of when her mother shrieked and cheered, after learning the news that Dante had managed to make the school's honor roll. The reflection of watching Atlas and Pollux show their tired mother their science project, as she sat on the living room's couch. Even with the sad and tired-looking eyes, she still was alert and engaged with the twin boys. Then there was the memory of Goliath Junior, when she held onto him as he struggled to read a passage from his teacher-issued, workbook. She remembered her mother's soothing palms as they rubbed at her brother's scalp and her naturally-husky voice encouraging him to continue, despite his dyslexia's attempts of making him give up.

"Nasira!"

She was violently yanked out of her head by the fierce call of her name. Her eyes landed their sight on her lunch-mate. There was a fiery energy lurking in his eyes.

"I was calling your name and you didn't respond," Eric informed her. "I was asking you if you wanted me to take Luke back to his…" He paused when he truly glared at her face. The luster disappeared from his eyes and the crease from his brow managed to smooth out. A second later, there was a "What's wrong?"

'My mom is dying.' She shook her head and glimpsed at her plate. "N-Nothing. Nothing's wrong," she lied. Her breathing hitched, but it had gone undetected by Eric.

"Bullshit," he snarled. His left index finger was aimed at her. "Remember about what I said about you touching your neck?"

She did. Then she realized that she was scratching the back of her neck. Her hand dropped down to the countertop.

There was an intense silence, before he spoke again. "Baby…What's wrong?" he asked, his voice was drenched with concern.

'Eric, please drop it,' her brain groaned. "It's—

"Nasira," he warned. His eyes glowed. "Now tell me. What's wrong?"

A line of pressure grew in her throat and slithered down to the center of her chest. The pressure emitted a throbbing, dull ache. Memories of her mother danced around in her mind. The concept of her dying also was there.

"My…" There was hoarse-sounding breath. Her vision grew blurry as she eyed him. "Ma…" She felt the pressure grow, making it hard to breathe. "Ma… My mom… My ma… My—

Hands cradled her face. The grip was firm, but it wasn't harsh.

She flinched in her seat just as her eyes widened. She peered up, into his blue eyes. 'How...? How did he get here so-fucking-fast?!'

"Baby…Breathe." It was a command that was masquerading as a plea. "Breathe."

A strong hoarse wail penetrated the air.

"Come on… That's it!"

Her chest unleashed pricks of discomfort.

"That's it! That's it!"

Her bare feet and the kitchen floor had come into view. The environment was gradually spinning. 'Why am I…?' her confused brain murmured.

"Staring at the floor?" she heard herself say.

"How do you feel?" queried Eric.

"Like I am going to puke," she confessed. "My stomach is pressed into by the thighs." She felt the strong pressure on her shoulders lift away.

"You can sit up now," he assured her.

Nasira gingerly sat upright. She grimaced, when she felt her stomach spasm. She scanned the room before staring at Eric.

"I think you had a panic attack," he informed her. "You were about to talk about your mother, when you began to gasp for air."

She looked at him in alarm.

"You've…Never had a panic attack before?"

She shook her head. "No, I've never had one."

His hands came to rest in her shoulders, where a deep massage was applied. "What's…? What's wrong with Mrs. Grant?" There was caution in his voice.

She inhaled and the words "Its back" came out with the exhale. She watched his brow perform its normal wrinkle. His eyes held a sense of confusion. Her jaw chattered. "Can-Cancer," she croaked out.

His eyes darkened. His fingers' ministrations halted. "Cancer?" Eric murmured. Once she nodded her head, he asked "Where?"

"The liv…"

His eyes immediately shut.

He knew. He was aware of the severity of the illness without her telling him.

A deep crease formed in the middle of his brows. The fingers on her shoulders squeezed her parts tightly.

It was an action that made that forbidden love burn with a fierceness. "…ver and in her pancreas," she answered. "Her doctor told her that she could go through chemo again, ever since the cancerous cells are small right now."

His jaw clenched for a pulse. He opened his eyes and he stared at her. "Is she going to go through with it, like her doctor suggested?"

Nasira shook her head. "No, she doesn't want to be treat—

"Why not?" he growled forcefully.

"Because of the side effects that comes from—

"But if it works then she should—

"It's easier said than done, Eric. We're not the ones who—

"If it works then she should use it!" he growled. He released her shoulders. His arms swung by his sides. "Does she know what will happen to her, if she doesn't take the chemo? She will... You know."

She nodded her head. "She knows." Tears spilled. "She knows and she wants it." Her fingers cleaned her cheeks clean. "I can't stop her. I don't want my mama to..." She released a shaking sigh. "You know."

"So she wants to commit suicide now?" His eyes bulged and there was a snarl on his face. He slipped away from her. He strolled over to the kitchen sink, which was a few feet away.

"It's what she wants."

"What about your brothers? What did they say?" he asked.

"They don't know yet. She said that she is going to tell all of them tomorrow night."

Eric huffed. "Hopefully, they will talk some sense in her."

Eric filled up the space that was in between them. His arms wrapped around her body. Her hands found comfort on his lower back. She buried her face into his chest. Her hearing was clogged up with the sounds of his steady heartbeats. Her sense of smell relished the fragrance that came off of him.

"I'm sorry."

Nasira heard the sincerity in Eric's voice. She also understood the deeper meaning behind his apology.

She placed a kiss on a button. "I accept, Eric. And, thank you."

A moment later, he murmured, "I still do."

She sighed wistfully. She knew what he was referring to. "I do too."

*~oMLo~*

To Nasira, it appeared that the day had moved faster than a bullet after Eric left her home. He made his departure while Lucien was still taking his nap. Both parents felt that it was for the best, ever since their son still did not handle his father's departures with grace yet. Before he left, he pulled her into another embrace as they stood in the threshold between the living room and the corridor that was outside. This hug was longer and felt cozier. He solidified his farewell with a chaste peck on the forehead. After he left, she cleaned up and changed into more comfortable clothes. She returned some phone calls, all were from worried family members who haven't spoken to her since the previous afternoon. Afterwards, she started up with the dinner-making process and then she woke her son up. She placed the boy in his designated play area, which consisted of a child-proof barricade and a colorful throw rug. She finished making dinner. By the time she sat down on her couch to rest, the view from her windows displayed signs of the evening.

'This time has flown! If I blink my eyes a few more times, I'm sure I'll sleep until Monday night.' She chuckled and rested the back of her head on the couch.

"Da-Da! Da-Da! Da-Da!" Lucien spoke. Except… The jubilant voice had come from the direction in which the front door was located and not from the play area's location. "Da-Da! Da-Da! Da-Da! Da-Da! Da-Da!"

'Wait… How did he…?' Nasira raised her head from off of the back of the couch. She glanced over at the octagon-shaped, play area and noticed that her son was missing. The gate, the only exit from the area, was open. She sat upright as she stared at the vacany vicinity. 'Wait.' Then she glanced over at the front door. Her eyes widened. She found her son standing in front of the item. 'I'd... I know that I locked that door!' She glanced at her son as he pointed to the front door. 'How-in the-hell did he get out of there?'

He glanced over at his mother. "Da-Da!'"

She rose from the couch. "Aw baby boy! Da-Da will come over later."

She lied to her son. Eric called her earlier. He called to notify her that he wasn't coming back over, in time to prepare Lucien for his bedtime. His role as leader managed to disrupt those plans. On the previous night, which was their second night as faction initiates, a couple of teenagers were caught outside of the Training Facility's premises, past their curfew hours. Plus, one of the caught teens managed to piss off the Dauntless patrolman who caught them. As Eric relayed all of this information, via phone call, she heard the irritation in his voice. She knew that he was upset because thanks to these teens' carelessness and lack of respect for the authority, he was going to miss out on the time with his son. Before she ended the call, she said to herself, 'I hope that he doesn't take his frustration out of all of the initiates…too much.'

Her bare feet strolled over to the front door. She picked up her son and carried him over to his play area. She placed him back in the center of the structure and she exited the area, before closing the gate. She engaged the latch-styled lock. She stood a few feet in front of the gate and she sat on the floor. "Lukie-Bear?" she announced in a cheerful tone. "Luke, come to Mommy, baby boy!"

The toddler walked over to the gate. He raised his arms in the air, his normal reaction which told Nasira that he wanted to be picked up. "Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma!" he called out to her.

She shook her head. "No. No, baby boy. I want you to come to me just like you had gone to the door," she sweetly instructed the toddler. She pointed to the door. "I want you to unlock the door."

Lucien kept his hands and arms in the air. He called out for his mother again.

She shook her head. "No, big boy." She caught an idea. 'Maybe if I show him where the lock is...' She stood up and traveled over to the elaborate playpen's gate.

Lucien began to bob up and down with his arms raised. "Ma-Ma!"

Nasira gently grabbed his tiny wrists and she led his hands to the top ridge of the gate. She smiled at her son. "Okay Lukie-Bear, now show me how to unlock the gate," she instructed the baby. He began to fuss. "No-no-no-no, baby boy. I need you to show Mama."

Lucien began to go into a tantrum.

'Give him an incentive,' her conscience suggested. She quickly came up with a suggestion. 'The pudding,' she silently murmured. She trekked away from the gate to the kitchen with the sounds of Lucien's cries as her soundtrack. She procured the chilled bowl of chocolate-flavored pudding from the refrigerator and then a spoon from the utensil drawer. It was supposed to be the baby's dessert for the night. It was also one of the boy's favorite things to consume. She made her way back to the playpen's gate. Her son was still requesting for a pick-up. She scooped up a spoonful of pudding and placed some in her son's mouth. She watched her son rapidly transform from a grieving child to a hungry child that was ravenous for the taste of pudding.

The toddler greedily sucked the remaining pudding from off of the spoon. His hands were wrapped around his mother's right wrist, providing a tight squeeze. When he licked the stainless steel clean, Nasira removed the spoon away from him. He pulled at her wrist and tried to draw the spoon back to his mouth. The action caused her to laugh. "Let go, baby boy!" she giggled. She pried her hand from her son's strong grip. He began to fuss again. She pointed to the lock. "Unlock the door, Luke," she instructed. Then she backed away from the gate. She observed the toddler as he stood in front of the gate. She sat down on the floor and she placed the pudding in front of her. "Come on, Lukie."

Lucien glanced at his mother with tear-filled, slate gray eyes. His bottom lip was jutted out and his nostrils flared.

"Come on, Lukie. Open the door," she cheered.

His eyes glimpsed at the door and then back at his mother.

Nasira pointed to the bowl of sugary confection. "Mmmm...pudding, Lukie!" she swooned.

He deeply sighed as he stared at the bowl. He glanced at his mother and then at the gate. She noticed his eyes flickered down to the floor, where his sight was on a particular spot. Then, with his cherubic-styled face still staring at the colorful play mat, his dark gray irises and pupils did a slow crawl in their sockets. He aimed his view towards his mother. He gave his mother a short glimpse before he stared back at the carpet. His little brow crumpled a few seconds before he glanced at her again. Then the area rug became his focus yet again.

The action did not go undetected by his mom. Her brow crumpled and her lips pursed. 'What...? Wait... _Wait, is he actually weighing his options to show me_?!' She tapped a melody into the side of the ceramic bowl with the spoon, a way of reminding the boy of his potential reward for opening the gate. "Luke, you'll get the pudding, if you open the gate, big boy."

After making a sigh, the toddler traveled closer to the gate. His hands grasped the top. Then he released the wood, before he decided to repetitively pat at the door. He took a few steps to the side. His hands kept tapping at the wood. It was as if he was searching for something.

'Okay, baby boy, show me how did you do it.'

His hands reached the crease that was made by the gate. Lucien draped his right hand over the top of the door, to the front.

Her eyes widened. 'No, he couldn't.'

His short and stubby fingers touched at the metal that made up the lock. His fingertips rubbed at the metal latch. A grunt fell from his mouth. She watched his fingertips touch the tip of the latch. Then with a sharp grunt, he pulled the latch away from the cradle. The gate elegantly swung open.

'Well. I'll be…'

Lucien stood in the threshold of the entrance. He clapped and laughed.

'…damned. The boy is smarter than I gave him credit for.'

"Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma!" he squealed. His little feet performed a quick and uncoordinated trot. He immediately sat in his mother's lap and reached for his reward. Soon, the noises of his greedy eating penetrated the atmosphere.

Nasira wrapped her arms around the toddler. She giggled. She kissed his forehead and then stared at him. 'And your father thinks that you're only capable for Dauntless. My baby is smart enough to be in Erudite!'

*~oMLo~*

"Mmmm…"

His deep, purring-like grumble was used as a lullaby for her. His large, naked and hot body served as a thick blanket. He was in his favorite position; the one that he usually took after his body felt the intense gratification that came from his sexual releases.

Nasira giggled with equal-parts of delight and sleep-deprived delirium. Her arms gave his broad shoulders a tight but brief squeeze before drawing up high, to his resting head. It was there where her nimble fingers sifted through the short and curly strands of his dirty-blond hair. Her fingertips massaged invisible circles on his scalp and provided light scratches, which were the cause for his sounds of feeling satiated. "Are you enjoying this?" she softly inquired.

"Yeah," he mumbled. Then he shifted his bulky body a little bit. The actions were sent her reminders about his flaccid prick still being sheathed in her.

"Mmmm," she lightly moaned as tiny fissures of pleasure nipped at her spent walls and clitoris. Her legs spread further apart and pressed the outsides of her thighs down to the mattress, out of instinct. "Eric, don't get too comfortable now," she warned him. "You have to take me home, back to our baby."

Eric unleashed a hearty groan. "Later," he grunted. His arms gave a squeeze. Then he proceeded to purr like he was a gargantuan feline. Aside from his sounds of contentment, the bedroom was silent. There were no sounds from other forms of life: no sounds of the city's hustle and bustle despite being daytime, as well as, her body's natural sounds.

"Sing for me."

Her eyes snapped open. She wasn't aware that her eyes had fallen shut. Her vision panned down to the man that had her pinned down to the bed. Eric appeared to be in the throes of sleep. 'I know that I must…' She had to make sure that she didn't imagine it, so she asked her partner to repeat himself.

A sluggish grunt fell from his lips as he lifted his head from off of her breasts. He rested his chin on her left tit. His blue eyes focused on her. There was a dull coating covering his orbs. His eyelids were slightly discolored and there were pronounced bags under his eyes. There was a goofy, weak grin smeared on his lips. "I said, I want you to sing for me," he said to her, with a tone that was caked with sleep.

'Okay, so I am not losing my mind.' She peeped at him. "What do you want me to sing?" she asked with extreme interest.

"Any…" He yawned. "…thing."

"Okay…" She contemplated. She figured that she could sing a slow-tempo ballad to him. Her awareness ran through a mental list of the tunes that she knew well, which was due to growing up with her music-loving parents. As she thought, one song kept popping up inside of her head. "Okay…" she murmured. 'I'll take it as a sign.' She relaxed and closed her eyes.

 _"_ _I loves you, Porgy_

 _Don't let him take me_

 _Don't let him handle me_

 _And drive me mad_

 _If you can keep me_

 _I wanna stay here_

 _With you forever_

 _And I'll be glad…"_

She could've sworn that she was hearing the faint sound of the song's music. 'Nope... Just in my head.' She had gone back to paying attention to her task. Her fingertips scratched at his scalp. A warm and soft haze had taken over her spirit. Her naturally-smooth, baritone singing voice continued to honor their moment of being together.

 _"_ _Yes I loves you, Porgy,_

 _Don't let him take me_

 _Don't let him handle me_

 _With his hot hands_

 _If you can keep me_

 _I wants to stay here_

 _With you forever—_

 ** _"_** ** _BBBBBBBBRRRRRIIIIIINNNNNGGGG! BBBBBBBBBRRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!"_**

'The phone,' her sleep-wrecked brain slurred. Her eyes slowly opened and her vision was blocked with the sight of her living room's coffee table and the twelve-foot holographic projection screen of her video-converter. Her eyes focused on the blank blue screen. Then she focused on the bright, small neon green light that was on her table. It was her cell phone. With a deep groan, she turned onto her left side so that her hand had a better chance of reaching the table. She plucked up the phone and quickly scanned the time. It read twelve minutes before eleven o'clock. She did a quick memory run and a mental calculation. It was only two hours ago, when she had chosen to watch a film. She managed to fall asleep.

"Hello?" she said into the phone as soon as she brought the earpiece to her ear. She took note of the rough texture in her tone.

"Nassy? Is this you?!" It was her brother, Rogue.

She swallowed. "Yeah, it's me. What's up?" she groaned.

"Eww!" he groaned with mild disgust. "Why do you sound like one of those chain-smoking, old-ass meat-traps that hang out in front of the Snake Eyes?!"

Nasira groaned. "Shut up, Rogue!" She kicked the throw blanket off of her legs. "What do you want?"

"I was calling to see if you were alive or not," her brother told her. "I just checked my messages from off of my phone. I received a text from Barney. He also called me and told me that Eric had taken you home. Then Mama called me and read me the 'riot act' for not taking you home last night."

"No, I'm alive and well. I've been home since noon. Or around noon, I should say," she told him. "Yeah, I did leave with Eric."

"Well, thanks for telling me this info, sis!" he said, sarcastically.

She snorted. "You're acting like you would've picked up the phone, if _I did call_ you. The last time I saw you, you already stated your plans with Hexa."

"At least you could've left me a message, Nassy," he pointed out.

"You're right. I'm sorry," she groaned.

"Did he drop you off right away or did y'all hang out and… _You know_?" She heard the mild disgust in his voice.

She throatily giggled. "No, he didn't drop me off like a typical gentleman-caller," she reported. "We hung out and we've talked."

"Oh really, what did you talk about?" he inquired.

"About us, mainly, it was about us." She inhaled and exhaled. "He told me… He told me that he had feelings for me," she confessed.

"Oh, well that's good…"

"…and he has feelings for his girlfriend too... _And_ he wants us both," she clarified.

"Oh," grumbled Rogue. "Well…" He stammered. He tried to find the 'right words'. "Well…damn."

Nasira grimly snickered. "He told me that Anissa has his heart and soul while I have his body and mind," she told him. "I told him that I wanted all of him. He couldn't give me what I wanted. So…" She left the end of statement trail off.

"Mmm, I hear ya! But never say 'never,' Nassy. Y'all might end up together, in the future," Rogue told her.

"Mmm, I doubt it…" She sat upright and pressed her back to the sofa. "…He claims that she's the one."

Rogue chuckled. "Us, men, always claim about finding 'Missus Right'. Pay it no mind! A lot can happen between now and then, in the future. And besides…" He paused. "The mind controls the body and everything that is in it. It's Biology One-oh-One. So while this _Anissa_ chick has his _heart_ and his _soul_ , you have the most important part of him."

A goofy smile grew on her face. She scolded herself for appreciating her brother's kind words. "Thank you, Rogue" she said into her phone.

"No problem, Nassy." He sighed. "So how's Little Luke?"

"My baby boy is fine. He learned a way to get out of his play-area now. He shocked-the-shit out of me, when he did it. I think my boy might grow up to be an Erudite."

Her brother unleashed a sign of astonishment into his phone. A second later, she heard an " _Nnnnnoooooo_!" wailed into the phone. "What you just said… _That's blasphemy_!"

Nasira giggled. She stood up and traveled over to the windows. She began fulfilling the task of drawing the curtains across the windows.

"Luke is going to stay in Dauntless! He needs to stay! Besides, most chicks from Erudite has the faces of dogs!"

"Rogue!"

"What?! It's the truth! And most of them are dreadful snobs that has sticks shoved so far up in their asses that I am sure if they would run down a street, they would be engulfed in flames by the time they reach a corner!"

She scoffed. "So…" She sauntered away from the windows. "…What happened between you and Hexa?"

There was a snicker from his end. "Um, Nassy. I don't think you want to know what we—

"I'm not talking _about that_ , you fool! I was referring to how you feel about each other! Do you like her? Does she like you? Are you two planning on going out on a date?"

"Does a trip to the food court count as a date?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.

Her face had gone totally deadpanned. "No."

"Okay, so it's not a date."

"No," she giggled. "It is not a date. You need to take her to someplace proper, Rogue. I don't think Hexa is like a typical Dauntless woman. Something tells me that she would like to go to other places besides your bedroom," she pointed out.

"I know that much, Nassy. You gotta give _The Man_ some credit here. I just don't know where to take her. She doesn't seem like the type who likes to go to a nice restaurant and to a nightclub."

"Mmm… Take her on a daylight date: a trip out to Amity and to the Southeast section of the wall. Hang out there and get to know each other. Bring her home before nighttime. If she wants to go to another place to hang, then go," she suggested.

"Mmm, sounds like a good idea! Thanks, Nassy!"

"You're welcome, bro." She sat back down on her couch. "Even though you didn't say anything, I can tell that you like her."

"And you would be correct. How did you meet Hexa anyway?"

Her fingers touched at the blanket. "She didn't tell you?"

"Nah. I figured that you guys just met at happenstance."

Nasira shook her head. "No. We met _yesterday_."

" _Yesterday?!_ How did you two meet just yesterday?!"

"I had gone to the food court for lunch yesterday and she and her friends asked to sit at my table. I guess they wanted to be nice, so they struck up a conversation with me. Hexa invited me to tag along to the club," she explained.

"That was cool of her."

"I know. Hey, did she tell you what she does for a living?"

A goofy-sounding guffaw came from the other line. "Yeah, she told me last night! She's an—

"An 'Iron Ram'… Yeah, she told me! It's so cool that she is an Iron Ram! I thought that they are just men. I like her. She's cool, but not in that 'annoying-I'm special' kind of way."

"Yeah, Hexa, is a cool person. I like her. She makes me feel different," her brother confessed.

The siblings fell into a comfortable silence. She folded her blanket during this time while she listened out for her brother.

"Nassy, do you know why Mama wants to talk to us?" asked Rogue. His statement contained thinly-concealed level of concern and fear.

The inquiry's announcement was so sudden that she actually looked away as if he was talking in front of her. Her eyes focused on her lap. She began to undergo the stirrings of the feelings that she felt inside of her vehicle, two nights ago. She focused on the holographic screen. She took a deep breath. "No, I don't know what it is about. It's probably her way of spending time with us," she lied. "Besides, it can't be too important…" She sighed. "Dante won't be there for this…family event." She knew that her mother was planning on driving out to Amity's southeast section, to her eldest brother's home, to tell him.

Rogue sighed. "Yeah, you right. But I have this… _weird feeling_ , sis. When I talked to her today, she sounded so tired. It was like the times, when she had to go to her chemo appointments in Erudite."

 _"_ _Do you want to know why I told you first and not anyone of your brothers? Mmm, Nassy? (Sighs.) I told you, because I know that you will keep things together. You will know what to do, after I…Go ahead…Its okay for you to cry. Don't you hide away your sadness…You're strong, baby. (Laughs.) You look like me, but you have your father's character, through-and-through. You're strong like him. You're resourceful like him. I know that you won't allow your brothers to force you to do anything. (A shaky, sigh.) I'm going to miss you, so much…"_

Nasira took a deep breath as she listened to her mother's voice inside of her head. "No," she said in a firm voice. "I don't know what this meeting will be about. This is probably a ploy for the old woman to make us spend more time with her."

"Yeah, you probably right," sighed Rogue.

The woman grimaced as a slice of indescribable pain came crashing down onto her spirit. She gently rocked in her seat while her cell phone softly shook in her hand. She audibly exhaled. "She is fine, Rogue. Whatever it is, she is fine."

She silently hoped that her mother was right about her strength because she didn't feel like she had any strength left.

*~oMLo~*

 _"_

 _…_ _The largest and most important part of the brain is the controls many things like memory, speech and intelligence. However, the most important part in terms of survival has to be the Hypothalamus. It is the part of the brain which controls primal functions such as hunger/thirst, regulation of body temperature, heartbeat…"_

She knew that her current behavior was silly and slightly childish. But her damn curiosity forced into doing this research. After making a few left turns during her internet research, she finally made the right one. She read the passage that contained the information about the human brain for a few times. Then she came to the conclusion that she wasn't being productive at all. 'Okay, now you're starting to act like—

Her thought process was disrupted by the sounds of her cell phone's ringing. She placed her e-tablet on her lap and then she plucked up her cell phone from off of the nightstand. She peered down at the phone's screen. The words "The Bigger Luke" were splashed across the small lit-up screen. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Mmm, what does he want?" She quickly connected the call.

"Hey, Eric," she greeted after she placed the phone to her right ear.

"Hey." His voice seemed to have oozed out of the speaker.

A subtle ripple of carnal need transferred from her ear down to her cunt. She closed her eyes as she inhaled. After she exhaled, she said "How are you feeling now? I know that you were feeling… A little pissed off, during our last conversation. Did you…? Were you able to handle those initiates that were causing the problems?"

Eric released a soft scoff. "Yeah, I was able to deal with those little shits." He released a smug chortle.

"You didn't make them factionless, did you?" she asked, sounding concerned for those children.

"No. Their actions weren't severe enough for the punishment. But I did make those assholes run laps around a sparring room until they puke," he told her.

"Ugh," she groaned. Once the unsavory feeling of nausea passed, she said, "Do you think that they will raise some more hell in the near future?"

"No, I don't think so… if they're asses are smart enough. They are here to be soldiers. I am here to teach them how to be soldiers. Dauntless is the home of this city's protectors, not for the rebels or for a bunch of dumb-ass kids, who are trying to enter a battle of wills with me."

"Well…" She kicked the blanket from off of her legs. She brought her knees close to her chest. "…all I am going to say, dear ol' Dauntless Leader Coulter, is to be careful. Teenagers can be a bit… _handful_ at times and they will test your buttons. Don't be surprise if you receive any more trouble from those boys," she warned him. Her fingers found a lock of her hair. She began to manipulate the natural curl pattern by twirling the thick mass of strands around her index and middle fingers. "Look on the bright side: It'll give you some practice, when it comes to handling teenage boys."

He groaned. The he said, "Speaking of our boy… How's the Kid?"

An image of their son's smiling face flashed across her mind's eye. She smiled while her heart appeared to have flutter. "He's alright. He's knocked out as of right now. He feel asleep earlier than usual. I think he must've been having his own little dance party with Sophie last night, after I left…" Then a snapshot from the memory of Lucien breaking free from his play area ran across her mind. "Oh!" she chirped as she flinched. "Luke knows how to escape from his play-area!" she enthusiastically told him.

"How-in the-hell did he managed to do that?"

"He figured out how to unfasten the lock. This afternoon, I was sitting on the couch when he started to call out for you. I thought he was in his play area, but he was standing in front of the door. So, I had to figure it out. I put him back in his area and I locked the door. I asked him to come to me. Do you know that he actually had to _think_ about whether or not he should show me?!"

Eric's chuckles fell from the phone's earpiece. "He was weighing his options," he teased.

She smirked. "Ha!" She stretched her legs in front of her. "Well, he did eventually show me. I had to bribe him with a bowl of chocolate pudding in order for him to show me. He stood on his tippy-toes and reached over the top of the gate until he touched the lock. Then he proceeded to figure it out. It took him a few tries, but he was able to get it.

"Mmm," he hummed. "It sounds like you need to either buy another playpen for Junior or you need to start taking him out to a bigger play area, Mommy," he suggested. "Don't you have a park nearby your building?"

Nasira unleashed a horrified gasp.

"Oh, come on," she heard Eric say.

"I refuse to take him to that battlefield that is mistaken for a playground," she told him.

He unleashed a throaty growl of irritation. "I think that is an unfair comparison."

"It's a cesspool of bad-ass children, who don't know how to behave and their parents, who would rather get a bunch of shit tattooed on their faces instead of raising their kids. If I allowed Luke to play in that park, he will get hurt," she pointed out.

"Now you know that all Dauntless mothers are not like the ones that you had seen on that day. There are plenty of great mothers living in this faction. In fact, I am speaking to one of them."

A deep smile touched at her face. "Thank you, Eric." Her eyes stared down at her legs.

"You're welcome."

She allowed another multi-second moment of silence to pass between them. "What are you doing as of this—?

"Moment?" said Eric, as he filled in the blank.

Nasira nodded her head. "Mmm-hmm," she hummed as her fingertips danced on the e-tablet's screen.

Eric's sigh spilled into her ear. "Mmm… I am laying in my bed, right now."

'Oh boy,' she whimpered. 'Just keep it clean, Nassy.' She stared at her closet. "Anissa is working a late-night shift?"

"Why do you want to know?" There was a teasing cadence stitched upon those spoken words.

She quickly clarified her statements. "I meant, is this the reason why you are still up?" She quickly dissected her statement and concluded that it lacked any sexual innuendos.

"No, Anissa isn't at work. She's home in her own place. I'm alone because I wanted to be alone tonight. And besides… I'm not in the Training Facility's suites. I am at the other place," he reported.

Her eyes widened as she felt the mild surprise. "Why you're there?"

There was a groan from his end. It was the type of groan that accompanied a good stretching on the limbs. "I just wanted to be alone right now," was his answer.

"Oh, okay" she murmured.

"Have you spoken to your mom today?"

"Yeah, but it was a short conversation. One of my brothers called her and asked her about my whereabouts, which caused her to panic. She cussed me out, but she managed to calm down when I told her that I was with you. Then she told me that she hopes that I end up pregnant with a girl this time," she informed him.

An unkempt-sounding snort came from the phone. "What?"

"Yeah… That's my mom!" She chuckled. "She has told me before that she wants me to have another child… With you." She shook her head. "I don't know…" She sighed.

"So… She knew about us?" He sounded surprised by the information.

"Yup, she knew…and I didn't even have to tell her. She said that I looked different. She said that I had a glow."

There was dead air. Within a few seconds into the streak of the soundless void, there was a masculine "Mmm" added to the conversation. For Nasira, he sounded as if he was actually contemplating about another act of conception…And he didn't consider the idea to be far-fetched. The image of a happy-and-contemplating Eric popped up in her mind. In her mind's scenario, the Dauntless leader was laying in his large, majestic-looking bed, in a dimly-lit bedroom. The moonlight was his only source of light. He was shirtless and had layers of blankets covering his lower body. A cell phone was pressed to his right ear. His muscles and his tattoos were on display.

The scenario was enough inspiration to lure her arousal to awaken. Her skin slowly felt a thick heat while there was a slow build-up of pressure in her belly and sex. It was enough to convince Nasira that she needed to get off of the phone, before she would do something foolish and end up at 'square one' with him.

"Um…"Nasira glanced at her nightstand, at her clock. "Eric…" The time read a few minutes after midnight. "…I am going to hang up now. It's late and—

"It's okay," he assured her. "I have to get some sleep myself. I have to attend the initiates' training sessions. After I am done with them, I will drop by to see the Kid… And you."

A fluttering motion ran across her belly. She enjoyed that admission more than she should have. She knew that it was wrong.

"He would really love to see you, Eric," she informed him. 'I would love to see you too.'

"I am going to try to get there as early as I can," he reported.

"Okay," she muttered.

"By— I mean, have a good night, Nasira."

She smiled and felt giddy at the fact that he remembered. "Have a good night, Eric." She was about to disconnect the call, when she heard him call out her name. She brought the phone back to her ear. "Yes, Eric?"

She heard him sigh, before he said "You know that I still do, you know that, right?"

Nasira giggled while her heart began to pound against her chest bone. "And I do too." With a sharp inhale through her nose, she disconnected her participation in the phone call. She waited a few seconds before she pulled up her cell phone's contact list. Her fingertips scrolled through the list of names and telephone numbers before she came to the desired one. She dialed the telephone number and waited for the voicemail greeting that she knew was going to meet her.

 _"_ _Hello, you have reached the office of Landon Mirkens, the building manager for the Liberation Gardens. I'm sorry that I am unable to take your call at the moment. If you would like to leave your name, telephone number and a brief message, then I will get in contact with you as soon as possible..."_

A loud, monotone 'beeping' noise erupted, a few milliseconds later. "Good evening Mr. Mirkens. This is Nasira Grant. I live in Apartment Four-E with my son, Lucien. I'm calling because I need to have my key-code change, for my front door. I will be home for the rest of the weekend. My contact info is in my file. Nothing has change. Thank you." She disconnected her phone call.

'If I want to get over this, then I must be proactive with my stance. I can only change the things that involves me. I did it before with Eric. I can do this.'

She placed her phone on the nightstand. She plucked up her e-tablet. Her eyes peered at the screen's contents. She realized that she had left the previous page open.

 _"…_ _The largest and most important part of the brain is the controls many things like memory, speech and intelligence. However, the most important part in terms of survival has to be the Hypothalamus. It is the part of the brain which controls primal functions such as hunger/thirst, regulation of body temperature, heartbeat…"_

Her eyes read the passage again. She smiled. 'But it doesn't hurt to have a little bit of hope. But in the meantime…' Her fingers typed into the internet search engine and a new window popped up on her e-tablet's screen. Her eyes took in the site's name of "Lady Lovely's Pleasure Chest" which was written in a pink banner. '…I gotta keep my temptation at bay.'


End file.
